A drugs trial took an unexpected twist when a Tenby businessman suddenly changed his plea to guilty. Rory McDonald, 34, had already given evidence at Swansea Crown Court protesting his innocence. But moments later he asked for the charge to be put to him again and this time pleaded guilty. MacDonald, a permanent guest at the Hammonds Park Hotel, Narberth Road, Tenby, had arranged for a friend, Andrew Barnes, to send him 189 ecstasy tablets through the post. Barnes, 37, of Cornish Gardens, Bournemouth, persisted with the trial against him, but was quickly convicted. Both men were warned they faced jail sentences - MacDonald for possessing ecstasy with intent to supply and Barnes for being concerned in the supply of a Class A drug. Ian Wright, prosecuting, said a jiffy bag addressed to MacDonald's company, Aquafix, was delivered to the Hammonds Park Hotel, where MacDonald was resident in room nine. The hotel proprietor, Hannah Brown, could hear the contents rattling and became suspicious. There was already a small hole in the bag and a single white pill fell out. A short while later, MacDonald telephoned the hotel and asked Mrs. Brown if a bag had arrived. On being told it had, he asked if the postmark was Bournemouth. Mr. Wright said MacDonald immediately telephoned Barnes to, presumably, tell him that the package had arrived safely. But the situation was far from safe as the tablets were already in the hands of the police, who arrested MacDonald the same day. Mr. Wright said police found a series of incriminating mobile telephone text messages passing between the pair. One from Barnes read: "Want them little ones still?" MacDonald's reply read: "On my way back mate, can we sort it by post?" Three days later the jiffy bag arrived. MacDonald told the jury he knew nothing about the bag or its contents and would not get involved in drugs because it would harm his business. But 10 minutes after completing his evidence he decided to confess. Barnes continued to insist he was not the sender of the bag, but he was found guilty by a unanimous verdict. Judge Martin Furness adjourned sentence to allow time for probation officers to prepare reports into the men's backgrounds. They were granted bail meanwhile, but warned that the offences passed the custody threshold.
