Christopher Millington QC represents defendant acquitted of smuggling 2 tonnes of cocaine

Emile Schoemaker was found Not Guilty on 26 June 2019 by a jury at Bristol Crown Court following a retrial on a charge of ‘Being Knowingly Concerned in Carrying Class A Drugs on a Ship’. His co-defendant, Maarten Pieterse, had pleaded Guilty at an earlier hearing and will be sentenced in August.

The defendants were aboard a sailing yacht, Marcia, on 18 July 2018 in international waters on the western approaches to the English Channel when it was intercepted and boarded by Border Force officers on HMC Vigilant. A search revealed 2.1 tonnes of cocaine in 1.2kg packages concealed in a void to the aft of the cabin. The purity was 74-78%. The street value was estimated as £133 million.

Mr Schoemaker denied any knowledge of the cocaine being on board.

Chris was instructed by Justin Roy of Jonas Roy Bloom solicitors.

Further press details can be found here.