A man has avoided jail after he smuggled £100,000 of cannabis through Thailand and Qatar - only for the drugs to get seized in Bracknell.

Stephen Ring appeared for sentencing at Reading Crown Court on June 7.

The court heard how Ring - a 46-year-old chef employed by a prominent football team in Thailand - packed a suitcase with 12 kilograms of cannabis.

Prosecuting barrister Anne-Marie Critchley said the drugs had an estimated street value of around £100,000.

In January this year, the suitcase was loaded onto a flight at Bangkok and flown to Doha, bound for the UK.

While the Thai and Qatari authorities did not detect the cannabis, the suitcase became lost in transit, and ended up at the DX Express parcel depot in Bracknell.

Mrs Critchley told the court: "By this time, the suitcase was smelling strongly of cannabis, which aroused the suspicions of the baggage handlers."

Ring attended the depot, hoping to reclaim the drugs - but parcel workers had already called the police.

The defendant was arrested soon after arriving, and charged with importing Class B drugs.

Ring expressed contrition for his offending, claiming that he agreed to smuggle the cannabis in order to settle a debt.

In a statement read to the court, he said: "I feel so bad about what I did, and I feel like I let my family down - and myself, because I was doing so well in life."

Recorder John Ryder KC took issue with some aspects of Ring's account, suggesting he played a much more 'significant' role in the smuggling operation than he was letting on.

Nevertheless, the judge remarked: "I don't have the impression that he [the defendant] is a serious criminal. As far as he's concerned, he's seen an opportunity to get some money by bringing in a suitcase of cannabis to this country."

In the end, Ring was handed an 18-month prison term, suspended for two years.

He must complete 15 days of rehabilitation activities, as well as 30 days of programme activities.