Ryanair hostess tried to smuggle 8,000 duty-free cigarettes into Britain spared jail but is forced to quit airline

• Gemma Phillips stopped at John Lennon Airport 
• She was forced to face court alongside colleague Adam McEvatt for smuggling cigarettes
• Both quit from their jobs with Ryanair over crimes
• Pair admit evading tax duty at Manchester Magistrates' Court

Relieved: Former Ryanair worker Gemma Phillips cried as she left court where she was spared jail for smuggling cigarettes

An air hostess whose career crash landed after being unmasked as a cigarette smuggler wept as she walked free from court today.
Former Ryanair stewardess Gemma Phillips, 26, started the  racket with cabin crew colleague Adam McEvatt so they could sell the cut-price cigarettes on to family and friends for extra cash.
But Phillips was intercepted at Liverpool John Lennon Airport from a Canary Islands flight while trying to sneak 7,800 Canary Kingsize cigarettes into the UK hidden in her luggage.
McEvatt, 28, was stopped five minutes later and was found to have 6,000 duty free cigarettes. 
Between them they avoided paying more than £3,500 in tax.
The pair were not on duty at the time they were arrested and were only ordered before the court because they worked within the aviation industry.
As a result, both have decided to quit their jobs following disciplinary proceedings.
Today at Manchester Magistrates' Court, Phillips and McEvatt, both from Liverpool, admitted evading tax duty.
They were caught on August 20 after Phillips arrived back in the UK after visiting McEvatt in Gran Canaria where he lives four days a week.
At 11.30pm she was stopped whilst in the green channel and was found to have 2,000 Canary Kingsize filter cigarettes in her bag.
Another of her bags was recovered from the luggage pick up point and was found to have many more cigarettes inside.
Prosecutor Miss Michelle Rhodes said: 'Gemma, due to an accident had been prevented from working at Ryanair for four months and it was a last-minute decision to purchase the cigarettes after she overheard people talking about buying cigarettes.
'She thought it was a good idea to top up her money and withdrew the cash. It was her intention to sell the cigarettes to friends, she knew she had brought in more than she was allowed.
'She had brought in cigarettes on a previous trip to Benidorm five years ago.
'Five minutes later Adam was also intercepted. Adam knew he was carrying far in excess of what he was allowed.
'They had hired a car to transport the cigarettes and packed them in their suitcases with each other present with the intention to sell to their friends and family.

Conspirators: Phillips (left) and co-worker Adam McEvatt (right) admitted smuggling 13,800 cigarettes through customs at Liverpool John Lennon Airport

'Clearly this was a joint enterprise, Gemma bought the cigarettes with her own money and they were both going to supply cigarettes together with the intention to sell to family and friends.
'They both have no previous convictions, both are cabin crew workers and worked for Ryan Air and would have had full knowledge of allowance. It was a breach of their position of trust.'
The court heard the approximate duty avoided in total by the pair was £3,500.26. Phillips and McEvatt were each given a two year conditional discharge and were each ordered to pay £85 costs.
Brian Jackson, defending McEvatt, said: 'This was not a situation of breach of trust. At no stage did Adam report at the airport to be a member of Ryanair and he came through the normal channels.
'He was not trying to get around any security measures. Had they been civilians when they went through the airport they would have been dealt with by way of warning.
'As a result of the prosecution, they have had significant punishment which is the loss of their employment. Adam has made a stupid mistake and is now paying for it having been punished already with the loss of his job.'

Punishment: Both quit their jobs with Ryanair because they breached trust that comes with their air stewarding roles

For Phillips, Mr Hayward said: 'She has suffered with the loss of employment and she was summoned to Ireland for disciplinary action and has suffered from that.
'She is deeply ashamed of what she has done. All that she has known was the airline industry and from the age of 18 she worked hard to progress and all this has gone.
'She will not be able to work in the airline industry again and it is a source of deep regret.
'She is full of remorse of what happened and if she could would turn the clock back. Had they not been employed by the airline they would not have been prosecuted.'
District Judge Jonathan Taaffe told them: 'You have both lost a lot as a result of these actions - but are people who should be valued by any future employers.
'I am prepared to accept this was an isolated act. On your part it was an attempt to nearly raise funds on your own behalf.
'Nevertheless it is a serious matter, it is not a victimless crime, people who avoid revenue payment make the rest of us suffer.'
Duty laws introduced last year restrict European holidaymakers to 800 cigarettes and one kilogram of rolling tobacco per person.
A spokesman for Border Force, the enforcement arm of the UK Border Agency said: 'Tobacco smuggling is serious and increases the tax burden on everyone else. Revenue from cigarettes and tobacco helps fund public services.
'Tobacco smugglers are tracked by Border Force and HMRC, and repeat offenders will be prosecuted.'