An Irishman named Aaron Godfrey, who was apprehended with 30 MDMA tablets at the Creamfields festival in the UK, has been sentenced to jail after evading authorities for 8 years.

Godfrey, aged 29, was intercepted by security personnel while attempting to enter the festival on Sunday, August 27th, 2017. At that time, he was 21 years old and was discovered in possession of the drugs by a sniffer dog.

Upon being taken by staff to have his hands swabbed for drug traces, Godfrey tried to discard a small package containing orange tablets. Despite his efforts, security noticed the package, and when questioned, he admitted that it contained ecstasy tablets.

Godfrey stated that he had hidden the drug in his trousers, but moved them to his jacket pocket after they fell out on his way to the festival. Subsequently, he was arrested on suspicion of possessing class A drugs with intent to distribute.

During interrogation, Godfrey claimed that the tablets were for personal use at the festival, which was scheduled to conclude six hours after his arrival. However, police confiscated his phone, revealing multiple texts related to drug transactions.

Following his arrest, Godfrey was released on bail but absconded to Ireland before his court appearance, leading to his placement on a national wanted list.

Godfrey was eventually taken into police custody in 2022 upon his arrival in Birmingham. Despite being arrested and appearing in court, he was granted bail once more and absconded. This prompted Interpol to issue a red wanted notice, resulting in his arrest in Spain last year during a golfing trip with friends.

Following a legal battle, Godfrey was extradited to the Netherlands, where he was ruled to be sent to Britain to face drug charges. In December 2024, he received a six-month prison sentence for failing to appear in court twice and fleeing the country.

On Wednesday, he was sentenced to two years and 10 months for possessing MDMA pills at Creamfields. Detective Neil Flemming of the Creamfields Post Investigation Team expressed satisfaction with the judge's decision to reject Godfrey's claim that the drugs were for personal use, emphasizing that they were intended for commercial distribution.

Flemming highlighted the extensive international cooperation required to locate, apprehend, and prosecute Godfrey, emphasizing that his repeated attempts to evade justice had only resulted in a longer prison term.