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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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UK: Melksham drug dealer spared jail
Wiltshire Times Monday 23 Jul 2012 Steven Sullivan peddled the drugs for more than two-and-a-half years to raise money to fund his own habit. But after hearing the 32-year-old had always been in work and selling to a circle of friends a judge imposed a suspended sentence. Tessa Hingston, prosecuting, told Swindon crown court on Friday how police raided Sullivan's home on November 3 last year. When they searched the property they found about 88 grams of herbal cannabis, with a street value of about £300, along with scales and almost £7,000 in cash. Sullivan, of Semington Road, Melksham, admitted he had been dealing cannabis for about two-and-a-half years and pleaded guilty to supplying cannabis and possession with intent to supply. He said he had a circle of about 20 or 30 people to whom he supplied who were largely friends and family. He denied a charge of possessing criminal property and prosecutors dropped the case rather than seek a trial. Martin Wiggins, defending, said "All the proceeds from that has been to support the defendant's own use of cannabis. He unfortunately felt a compulsion to use cannabis. "He was using it as a coping mechanism to deal with stress and worry which he had been unable to deal with another way. "He otherwise is a responsible family man and ought to have taken concerns of this sort down a medical route and not down a route of illicit substances." Passing sentence Judge Douglas Field said "In your favour you pleaded guilty at the first opportunity, you are a family man and you have been in work all your life. "That is to your credit and you have a drug problem, you are an ardent user of cannabis, and this had led to you committing these offences. "This does cross the custody threshold but in view of everything I have head and read about you I don’t intend to send you to prison immediately." He imposed a three month jail term suspended for a year, ordered him to complete 120 hours of community service and to complete a six month drug rehabilitation requirement. Sullivan was found to have profited from crime by £36,313 and was ordered to pay £7,400 under the Proceeds of Crime Act. He will forfeit the cash seized and must come up with the remaining £420 in the next four months or face six months in custody. http://www.wiltshiretimes.co.uk/news/latestheadlines/9832700.Melksham_drug_dealer_spared_jail/
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