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"The most painful ordeal of his life": man flew from Argentina with 17 pellets of cocaine in his rectum

Summary

Samuel Templeman, a 36‑year‑old unemployed handyman from the UK, flew from Argentina to Dublin carrying 34 cocaine pellets, 17 of which he had placed in his rectum and two between his buttocks after failing to swallow the full 100 pellets he was instructed to ingest. He was intercepted by customs on arrival on 8 May and pleaded guilty to possessing cocaine for sale or supply at Dublin Airport. He received a three‑year sentence, with the final two‑and‑a‑half years suspended, and was described by the judge as a vulnerable prey of drug dealers. Templeman has no prior convictions, was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome, and has since behaved as a model prisoner, working in a trusted position and receiving drug counselling in the UK. The sentence was back‑dated to his initial custody, making him eligible for release under the imposed conditions.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: "The most painful ordeal of his life": man flew from Argentina with 17 pellets of cocaine in his rectum. Charges or matters: one count of possessing cocaine for sale or supply at Dublin Airport. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

• May 8 Incident
• 2016-12-13 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Airport Incidents Drugs Stage Sentence

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Read the original CNI report