R v CR
D was charged with 6 counts of supplying class A drugs and 2 counts of supplying class B – ketamine. He was arrested and released under investigation. A phone was seized from him which showed obvious drugs supply over a period of time. The messages also showed that D may have been working to pay off debts that he owed to the dealers above him.
Three months later the defendant is stopped by the police again and found to be in possession of a significant quantity of class A and B drugs and cash. It was clear from earlier police observations that he was out dealing drugs again. The defendant was charged in respect of both matters.
The Judge indicated that he would need to impose consecutive sentences as the defendant continued to deal in drugs despite being caught on an earlier occasion. An indication was given that he falls to be sentenced as having played a significant role as a street dealer, with a starting point of four and a half years on each offence and aggravated by the fact that he did not desist from his dealing.
Submissions were made to persuade the judge to deal with him as having played a “lesser role” and that in all the circumstances a concurrent sentence can be imposed to enable the judge to bring the overall sentence down to two years so that it can be suspended.
Having heard submissions, D was sentenced to a 2 year suspended sentence order.
Jabeen Akhtar represented D throughout proceedings.
