Introduction
1.On 11 December 2013 in the Crown Court at Canterbury the Applicant was convicted after a re-trial on an indictment containing six counts of the offences we detail below. On 12 December 2013 he was sentenced by the trial judge, His Honour Judge James, as follows:i)On Counts 1 and 2, which were offences of being knowingly concerned in a fraudulent evasion of the prohibition on the importation of goods (namely class A drugs) contrary to Section 170(2)(b) of the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979, he was sentenced to 13 years imprisonment concurrent;ii)On Counts 3 and 4, which were offences of being knowingly concerned in a fraudulent evasion of the prohibition on the importation of goods (namely class B drugs) contrary to Section 170(2)(b) of the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979, he was sentenced to 3 years (count 3) and 4 years (count 4) imprisonment concurrent;iii)On Count 5, which was an offence of possessing a prohibited firearm contrary to section 5(1)(aba) of the Firearms Act 1968, he was sentenced to 5 years imprisonment consecutive; andiv)On Count 6, which was an offence of possessing ammunition without a firearm authority contrary to section 1(1)(b) of the Firearms Act 1968, he was sentenced to 1 year imprisonment, concurrent.The total sentence was therefore one of 18 years imprisonment.2.The Applicant now applies for permission to appeal against his conviction some 3003 days out of time. His application was referred to the full Court by the Single Judge.