A cannabis dealer who sold the drug to fund his £280 a week habit has been spared jail. Thomas Davies held on to a stash of cannabis for someone else and police found two bags of the drug in his shed worth between £7,265 and £18,280.
But they also seized his mobile phone which contained texts showing the 35-year-old was involved in supplying the drug to others. Now Davies has been sentenced to seven months in prison, suspended for 18 months, at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court.
Prosecutor Fiona Cortese said police attended an address in Haig Road, Leek, to arrest the defendant on June 26, 2021 for an unrelated matter. Officers knocked on his door for more than 10 minutes but there was no answer despite them seeing someone inside. They attended with an enforcer and as they struck the door Davies appeared from an upstairs window and said he would let them inside.
Police searched the address and from the shed they seized two bags containing 1.84 kilograms of cannabis with a potential value of between £7,265 and £18,280.
Davies was arrested. Police returned to his home and seized a mobile phone. It was examined and was found to contain texts linking Davies to the supply of cannabis.
In his police interview the defendant said he was a cannabis user and was holding the bag for someone else who he refused to name. Davies admitted selling cannabis for six months prior to his arrest to fund his £280 a week cannabis habit.
Davies, of Churnet Close, Cheddleton, pleaded guilty to possession of a class B drug with intent to supply.
Martin Bloor, mitigating, said the offending dated back to June 2021. Mr Bloor said: “At the time he was going through a very difficult time. He split up from his wife, lost his accommodation and was living between a vehicle and a tent. He started to engage with users of drugs. He was taking drugs himself at the time. He became involved in the supply of drugs.
“He appears to be showing signs of changing his lifestyle. He has started his own roofing business with a friend. He has been able to reduce his use of drugs. He has taken cannabis since the age of 13. He has tried to rid himself of the addiction. He still does take cannabis, although he has reduced his intake quite significantly.”
As part of the suspended sentence Davies must complete a rehabilitation activity requirement for 20 days, a six-month drug rehabilitation requirement, a programme requirement for 26 days and 50 hours unpaid work.
Judge Graeme Smith said: “You were holding the cannabis found in the shed for someone else. You were involved in selling cannabis to others during that six month period. You have no offences of a like nature. I am satisfied that this is a sentence that can be suspended.”
The judge ordered the deprivation of the cannabis and the mobile phone. He ordered Davies to pay £150 costs.
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