Former Wolves player Michael Branch loses jail appeal
A former Wolves striker who was jailed after being caught with £160,000 worth of cocaine has lost an appeal to have his prison sentence cut.
Michael Branch, aged 34, who also played for Everton, Birmingham City and Manchester City, was sentenced to seven years in prison at Chester Crown Court last November.
The former England under-21 international, of Liverpool, admitted possessing cocaine with intent to supply and supply of amphetamine. Dismissing his Court of Appeal bid for a reduced sentence today, three senior judges said Branch deserved all that he got.
His barrister, Mr Peter Killen, told the court Branch had been a professional footballer, but developed a gambling problem, began drinking heavily and fell into debt.
On March 16 last year he was seen handing a bag to another man near a Liverpool pub. The man was stopped by police, who found 3kg of amphetamine inside worth about £28,000, a court was told.
Branch, who played for Wolves 71 times between 1999 and 2003, was not arrested until July 10 last year when police went to his home and found a 976g block of 82 per cent pure cocaine along with supply paraphernalia.
It included notes relating to the possible importation of drugs from Spain and Holland. Branch said he had agreed to deliver the amphetamine in return for £300 to help pay towards his debts. When it was lost, he was threatened into storing the cocaine, he said.
Mr Killen told Judge Kramer, Lord Justice Richards and Mr Justice Globe the seven-year sentence was "manifestly excessive" and should be cut.
Dismissing the appeal Judge Kramer said: "The judge was entitled to conclude that the appellant was a commercial supplier, dealing in two types of drugs, close to the original source and near to the top of the classification of someone who played a significant role," he said.
