Two men from Guernsey have narrowly escaped being sent to jail after admitting to authorities that they regularly swapped prescribed cannabis to prevent each other from running out while waiting for their medication to be delivered.
Both men admitted the offence of supplying medical cannabis, and both were sentenced to one year in prison, suspended for two years, as well as fines of £750.
The sentence was handed down to the two men despite the judge acknowledging that neither had made financial gain, both had previous good characters and the fact that both men made full and frank admissions and cooperated fully with police.
Judge Catherine Fooks told the defendants that despite there being no guidelines governing this particular offence she was certain that it was serious enough to “cross the threshold of custody”.
The offence came to light when one defendant was arrested for a separate offence of importing steroids. While police were at the man’s property they found a container of medical cannabis that had a friend’s name on it.
The defendant received an additional sentence of 180 hours of community service after admitting to importing the Class C drugs for personal use.
In her summing up, Judge Fooks told the defendants how lucky they were not to be in jail, and not to make any more mistakes.
“You have risked everything”, she told the man charged with importing steroids. The second man was acknowledged as playing an insignificant role in the crime saying it was “less serious” but she told him he had “made a big mistake”. “I’m giving you the chance to stay with your families and work in the community. Guard that chance.”
*This article was amended at the request of the patients charged to remove names, which we obliged.
1 comment
If he hadn’t been importing steroids, it would have been a plainly unjust ruling.
Serious crime, lending another patient something they are prescribed anyway? Judge Fooks is on Planet Janet like the rest of the conservative (small c) minded 2 party set.
You’d think to pass the Bar they’d need a certain ability for critical thought, but little seems to have been applied here.
It’s a shame, we need more presidents whereby peers nullify a guilty verdict. despite legally defined parameters by deciding the plaintiffs are guilty of absolutely NO crime.
It’s clean, prescribed cannabis, not street smack or crack, meth or any of the other potentially far more dangerous and shabby substances after all.