These are the faces of two brothers who were this week beginning lengthy jail terms for their role in a drugs syndicate that smuggled cocaine to the island.

Sentencing Darren Connolly and his brother Steven, Deemster Alastair Montgomerie told them: ’Had you succeeded in your enterprise of bringing drugs into the Isle of Man community you would have brought misery and suffering to many families and communities on the island.’

John Darren Connolly, of Spring Valley Road, Douglas, was sentenced to six years and 10 months in prison.

But Deemster Alastair Montomerie added another year and two months to the 46-year-old’s sentence - making eight years in total - as his offences were committed during the currency of a previous eight-year sentence imposed in 2012 also for drug trafficking.

His brother Steven Neil Connolly, aged 42, of Bootle, Liverpool, was jailed for six and a half years and banned from the island for five years with an exclusion order.

The two men were arrested at Spring Valley Road on January 28, 2017 with 236.26 grams of cocaine being seized by police.

John Darren Connolly, who goes by his second name Darren, admitted offences of being concerned in the production of a class A drug to the island and possession of cocaine with intent to supply.

His brother pleaded guilty to being concerned in the production of a class A drug to the island and being concerned in the supply of a class A drug.

Prosecutor Rachael Braidwood told the court that, in January 2017, Darren Connolly was seen by police as he came out of an address in Spring Valley Road carrying a rolled up plastic bag while talking on a mobile phone.

He went into another house in the same road then emerged five minutes later with two other men.

The three men were standing outside talking until one of them got into a Seat Ibiza car and Darren Connolly went back into a house.

Police stopped the car as it was pulling away from Spring Valley Road.

They searched the area and found a plastic container which had been placed under long grass in one of the gardens.

It was suspected that it had been placed there by Darren Connolly and he was subsequently arrested.

When interviewed he handed in a prepared statement denying all knowledge of any drugs.

The container had white powder in it packed in three layers of heat-sealed bags which was confirmed as cocaine with a purity of 84%.

This was said to be extremely high as the average purity of cocaine in the Isle of Man at that time was 21.2%.

This led police to believe that Connolly was near the top of a tree in a drugs syndicate as the drug would have been adulterated before it was sold.

Numerous mobile phone calls made on January 28 linked Darren Connolly to his brother Steven Connolly and he was subsequently arrested in Bootle in June 2017.

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A search of his Bootle home found a vacuum sealing machine and hundreds of empty heat seal bags.

Both men later pleaded guilty to the offences but could not be sentenced until all parties had been dealt with. Two other men were also arrested but were acquitted.

The court heard that Darren Connolly was previously jailed for eight years in December 2012 at the Court of General Gaol Delivery and had been released in December 2016, only about a month before these offences.

Defending Darren Connolly, advocate Jim Travers said: ’Mr Connolly is now a mature man who regretfully has spent the majority of the last decade in prison. Of course that is down to his own conduct.

’He was released from the Isle of Man prison in December 2016. His view is that he should have returned back to his native Liverpool. On the Isle of Man he reports having little or no money and was reliant on others to provide him temporary accommodation.’

Mr Travers went on to say that his client had admitted he had committed the crimes for financial gain.

’It was an attempt to establish himself on the Isle of Man before looking to gain employment,’ said the advocate.

Paul Rodgers, defending Steven Connolly, said that his client was a father of four young children who had no similar previous convictions.

’He has worked all his life and was working up until the commission of these offences,’ said the advocate.

’This is grossly out of character. It was a horrendous error of judgement.’

Deemster Montgomerie told the two brothers: ’Both of you have spent not far short of two years in prison waiting for sentencing.

’You are both going to have to spend further time in prison and will have plenty of time to reflect on the severe hardship your families have suffered. They are victims also, think about them.’

A police spokesman said: ’We will continue to work with our partners to tackle the issue of drugs supply and importation to the island.’