Chris Lewis sentenced to 13-years

By Sasha Forbes
21 May 2009

Former England all-rounder Chris Lewis was jailed for 13 years yesterday after being found guilty of smuggling cocaine into Britain in a cricket bag. The 41-year-old Lewis, who played 32 Tests and 53 one-day internationals, was stopped at Gatwick Airport in December.

He had traveled from the Caribbean island of St. Lucia carrying a bag belonging to another man, co-defendant Chad Kirnon. The drugs were later discovered in tins of fruit.
The prosecution said Lewis told a customs officer that he was travelling alone and had been in St. Lucia visiting friends and family. But when his luggage was inspected, the cricket bag was found to be labelled with Kirnon's name.

When questioned, Lewis said he was simply bringing three tins of fruit juice back for his mother having bought them from a shop in St. Lucia.

Lewis and Kirnon pleaded not guilty to trying to bring cocaine with an estimated street value of 140 000 pounds through Gatwick Airport.