"Self-professed supplier" sent to prison

Friday 17 July 2020

A 20-year-old has been sentenced to more than six years in prison for supplying others with MDMA and cannabis.

Zac Rive was arrested four times last year between August and November, on suspicion of possessing and supplying illegal drugs.

The first incident took place on 5 August, when officers were out on duty in St Peter Port. The defendant was seen to glance at their van, before running off in the other direction. One of the officers shouted "stop" at him, before getting out the vehicle to follow after him on foot.

Rive eventually tripped over and his phone fell out of his pocket. When asked why he had run away, the defendant said, "I thought you were after me".

The officer could smell cannabis on his breath and Rive admitted he had been "smoking a joint" earlier on. He was arrested and his mobile phone was seized.

Pictured: A police dog was taken to the property for a search (file image).

In the days following the incident, Guernsey Police went to the defendant's address with a dog and searched the property. His bedroom door had been secured with a padlock, which other members of the household had removed for the officers, and the smell of cannabis was reported to be immediately apparent.

In the room, the officers found MDMA, cannabis and cannabis resin, as well as more than £1,100 cash. On heading outside, they came across more MDMA - in both powder and tablet form - as well as more cannabis.

The second incident happened on 13 September, when Rive was on police bail. Officers witnessed Rive getting out of a vehicle driven by another person in the Vauvert area. Knowing he had an outstanding drugs charge, they pursued him, arrested him under suspicion of possessing drugs and seized another mobile phone.

The following month, the defendant's name was brought to police attention again, when customs and police officers were searching another property. There, they found more MDMA and more than 1,000g of cannabis - all of which was forensically linked to Rive. He was arrested and bailed once more.

Pictured: Rive was bailed by Guernsey Police after each of the first three offences. 

Finally, on 28 November officers were searching another property, which the defendant was living in at the time. When they walked in, Rive was sat at a table with a bong in front of him. He immediately told the officers, "I'll tell you now, you will find stuff but it's all mine and nothing to do with [them]", referring to the person he was living with.

More MDMA and cannabis was found, along with packaging, two sets of digital scales and £900 in cash. Another phone was also seized.

Rive was then remanded in custody, where he has been ever since.

Despite being issued notices, he refused to tell police the passcodes to his mobile phones and was charged with three RIPL offences as a result.

In total, Guernsey Police seized 132 MDMA tablets (Class A), 1.77g of MDMA powder and 1,775g of cannabis (Class B).

In Rive's mitigation, Defence Advocate Paul Lockwood reminded the court that his client was just a teenager when he committed the crimes.

He explained how the defendant had suffered a "disastrous start in life" - "lurching from crisis to crisis" with "no one to give him any kind of advice or guidance as to how to live his life".

As a result, Rive had turned to drugs and alcohol at just 13-year-old.

Pictured: The defendant had numerous MDMA tablets (file image).

Advocate Lockwood said Rive had been "drawn into the orbit of those who would take advantage of him" during a previous youth detention sentence, and had become involved with people who would "prey on vulnerable, damaged people who are already in debt" to deal drugs for them.

"But he's clear with me that I'm not to come out here and make excuses," the advocate added. "He did know know what he was doing."

After over an hour of deliberation, Deputy Bailiff Jessica Roland and the Jurats decided on a long period of youth detention, with six years for the drugs offences and an extra nine months for the 'ripple offences'.

However, they did give the "self-professed supplier" credit for his early guilty pleas and the way in which he had cooperated with the courts ahead of his sentencing, which was delayed by the corona virus pandemic.

The months Rive has already spent remanded in custody were also taken into account, and his sentence will date back to 29 November, when he was first detained.

"Your life up to this point has been chaotic," said Ms Roland. "But what you have done is so serious that a non-custodial sentence is not justified.

"This is a crossroads for you. If you want it to be, this could be the stabilising force in your life, but that's up to you."

Pictured top: Les Nicolles Prison.