|
Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
|
|
UK: Drugs musician let out of jail Juliette Maxam The East Anglian Daily Times Saturday 24 Aug 2002 By Juliette Maxam AN ill musician who was jailed for growing cannabis has been freed after a judge reduced his punishment to a conditional discharge. Lance Ridler former session guitarist with the award-winning band Prodigy was given a two month prison sentence, with one month suspended, by Colchester magistrates last Wednesday. Ridler had admitted growing cannabis plants at his home in Braintree, which were discovered by firefighters during a blaze which destroyed his studio last month. But Ridler claimed the plants were for his own use to relieve a neurological disorder which makes chest tighten. At Chelmsford Crown Court yesterday Recorder Rodger Hayward-Smith quashed Ridler's prison sentence. Ridler's defence counsel Marc Cannatella told the court his client was due to see neurologist specialist today to get the urgent results of an MRI scan to show if he has a problem with either his brain or spine. Mr Cannatella said: "This is not a man who has gone about to cultivate cannabis to make any money for it. This is a man whose circumstances Suggest a conditional discharge. "He's spent three days in custody confined to his cell. His family was told he would be put into a hospital wing - that hasn't happened." After the hearing, Ridler's mother Rosemary Wood and fiancee Rebecca Cass complained about how Ridler was treated during his three days in Chelmsford Prison. Mrs Wood claimed: "They told us at court he would go straight to a hospital wing because of his illness about four times. "We rang and we were assured he was in the hospital wing and he would be given a message to phone home. "Then, when we saw him today we found out he was never given the message and was in a cell with two other people. I'm really cross about it." Ms Cass added: "We have been out of our minds with worry because of the test results and this has just made everything worse" Mrs Wood said she was considering making a complaint to the prison. Chelmsford Prison assistant governor James Shanley denied Ridler had been in a cell with two other people. He said he would look into the matter Nell Orr, chairman of the Board of Visitors, said the prison suffered from overcrowding which sometimes caused communication problems and messages not being passed on.
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!