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UK: DISABLED DRUG DEALER SPARED EVICTION AND JAIL WITH JUDGE'S HELP
Exeter Express and Echo
Saturday 16 Jun 2007 DISABLED DRUG DEALER SPARED EVICTION AND JAIL WITH JUDGE'S HELP Council housing chiefs have heeded a judge who urged them to reconsider evicting a disabled man who sold cannabis to the infirm to fund his own use of the drug for therapeutic purposes.Paul Wing and his girlfriend Sallie Pengelley, who is his full-time carer, spoke of their relief after Judge Jeffrey Rucker gave the 58-year-old Tiverton man a year's conditional discharge at Exeter Crown Court yesterday. Wing had been warned by Judge Francis Gilbert at a previous hearing that he would probably go to jail. Wing, who lives at his girlfriend's home in Sycamore Road, suffers from spinal muscular atrophy, a degenerative and genetic disease which developed nine years ago and leaves him with problems walking and constant pain. The court heard Mid Devon District Council was in the process of evicting Miss Pengelley as a result of the proceedings against her partner. Wing had pleaded guilty to possessing cannabis with intent to supply and an offence of supplying cannabis to another. Prosecutor Howard Phillips said 29 bars of cannabis, with a street value of up to £1,500, were found by sniffer dogs in a police raid at the house on November 7 last year. Mr Phillips said Wing immediately co-operated with police, explaining he had bought the drugs from a man in Exeter whose name he was too frightened to reveal. He continued: "Wing sold the cannabis to 17 people in the area who suffered a similar condition to himself, to pay for his own drug use to alleviate his pain. He had been doing it since February or March last year." When told the district council was considering throwing the couple out of their home, Judge Rucker said: "I can see their view but I'd think it was completely out of proportion to the sin committed. I very much hope the council don't go down that route and you can quote me on that." He told the defendant: "This was outside the law but I entirely understand why you were breaking the law. Maybe one day it will change but there are very real dangers in taking cannabis, particularly for young people. You are poorly and your health is much to be pitied." Wing told the Echo after the hearing: "The judge is a lovely man. I feel happy about the result. I thought he was going to put me in prison. I'm glad it's all over and I wouldn't do it again. Someone suggested to me that the cannabis might help with the pain. I swallowed it and it eased the pain, if I took it with my tablets for medication as well. "I found out other people who were disabled needed the cannabis. I didn't give the police a thought because I thought I was doing people a service, helping them feel happier and now that I've gone to court they are going to have to go to riff-raff to buy it instead." A district council spokeswoman confirmed Miss Pengelley was no longer in immediate danger of eviction. She said: "We do not intend to pursue possession proceedings against our tenant, the partner of Mr Wing, at this time. "However, we do not tolerate breaches of tenancy and we will be contacting her to discuss her continued occupation in our property."
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