|
Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
|
|
UK: Protest over prison term for drugs man Roddy Ashworth and James Hore The East Anglian Daily Times Thursday 22 Aug 2002 A STEPFATHER and the girlfriend of a man imprisoned for growing cannabis have insisted he should be in a hospital, not in jail. Lance Ridler 33 of Elizabeth Way Halstead, was given a two-month prison sentence at Colchester Magistrates' court yesterday - one month of which was suspended - after he had admitted producing cannabis at an earlier hearing. After he was sentenced, Ridler's stepfather Tom Wood, 57, from Halstead, said: "He is not fit to go to prison. He should be in a hospital. He can barely walk. The GP has said he should see a specialist. "He was not producing the plants for any financial gain. A custodial sentence seems to me totally out of order" Ridler's partner, Rebecca Cass, 27, said: "He needs to be in a hospital, not a prison. He has not been able to work since November. Six weeks ago our flat burnt down. We lost every thing. And now this." The court heard yesterday how fire-fighters discovered 37 cannabis plants growing in a cupboard at Ridler's flat on July 7 when dealing with a blaze that had spread from an adjoining building. Equipment to supply them with light and water was also present The plants were about 12 inches high and capable of producing drugs worth about £18,800 on the street, the prosecution alleged. But Peter Richards, mitigating, yesterday insisted that Ridler had been growing them for his own use to help ease a neurological condition he was suffering from, and that they were far less valuable. Ridler had been unable to work for months because of the debilitating symptoms, which included pain, numbness and weakness in his limbs. But he had a £5,000 painting and decorating contract that was being held for when his health improved. Mr Richards said: "He is a thoroughly decent young man who was working hard until his ill-ness prevented him from doing so. He is a man of previous good character who was worried about his medical condition." He described Ridler's cultivation as an "unsophisticated operation" that was "not commercially motivated" and very much a "hit and miss experiment". Magistrates examined medical reports before retiring to deliberate. When they returned, chairman of the bench Adrian Amos said: "We have listened very carefully to all that has been said. In our minds, here was a large amount of cannabis being cultivated - 37 plants."
After you have finished reading this article you can click here to go back.
|
This page was created by the Cannabis Campaigners' Guide.
Feel free to link to this page!