Cannabis suppliers given second chance

Monday 17 August 2020

A young couple have narrowly avoided going to prison after being found guilty of supplying cannabis resin to others.

Shane Tristan Topley, 24, and Abbie Saunders, 18, have been given lengthy suspended sentences and each will have to work 50 hours of community service for possession of cannabis.

Topley was sentenced to two years in prison for the supply charge, suspended for three years, while Saunders was sentenced to 18 months in youth detention, suspended for the same length of time. 

Officers carried out a search at Topley's address, where his partner Saunders would stay several times a week, on 2 May last year. 

Cannabis resin was found in a number of places, with the bulk of the total 182g of resin found in a pink wash bag. Digital scales and £1,919 of cash was found on the property, while a black iPhone 4s was confiscated. A notebook was also found documenting a log of sales and numbers. 

Pictured: Snapchat and Facebook Messenger messages were found on the phone which showed conversations with various "associates" and customers about arranging drug deals. 

While the social media accounts were in Saunders' name, neither Defence Advocate could say who the phone belonged to. In any case, the conversations indicated that both her and Topley were jointly involved in the supply of cannabis to others.

Advocate Paul Lockwood brought the court's attention to the number of personal references Topley had "singing his praises". He also addressed his client's problems with mental health. 

"You are, under any analysis, dealing with a vulnerable young man," he told the Judge and Jurats. "He has had profound issues with mental health. He has had anxiety and cannabis has possibly alleviated that in the immediate short-term, but no doubt has not helped him in the long-term."

He said Topley had plenty of time to reflect during the 15 months it has taken the case to come to court.

"He had a fairly dreadful early life experience and these proceedings have prompted a change in his behaviour,' said Advocate Lockwood. "A suspended sentence of significance would oblige my client to make recompense to the community. This is not a ludicrously lenient option."

Pictured: Advocate Paul Lockwood told the Royal Court that Topley was not "a major player or a big fish - he has been doing other people's dirty business for them."

Advocate Sam Steel said Saunders had started taking cannabis at a young age to provide relief from some difficult childhood experiences. 

"She had her first taste of bullying at the age of six and suffered anxiety and depression at the tender age of nine. At secondary school the bullying became more vicious and there were physical and attacks in public places.

"There was no escape and her social anxiety was uncontrollable."

Advocate Steel said Saunders had found the substance "offered her relief and eased her anxiety, although she knows this is not an excuse."

Advocate Steel asked the Court to consider Saunders' age and the fact that this was her first court appearance, urging the Judge and Jurats to "give her the chance to prove she can learn from a non-custodial sentence." 

She had experienced some traumatic events in her teenage life and was particularly fearful of ending up in Les Nicolles Prison. 

Pictured: The 182g of cannabis resin found at Topley's property was seized and will be destroyed. 

The Bailiff Richard McMahon ruled that the couple had dealt drugs of their own volition, mainly for financial gain and to support their own cannabis use. 

"There was no pressure on you but there has been a degree of naivety," he said. "We note how utterly stupid you have been."

Saunders had reportedly asked arresting officers why they didn't go after real criminals, pointing out that cannabis is legal in some other countries around the world. 

Mr McMahon said that in a free society, Saunders was free to express her views on cannabis but had to understand that it is up to the legislature to make any changes to the law. Unless and until that happens, the court is obliged to make decisions that are consistent with the current laws.

The Bailiff said the pair had "misplaced views about self-medication" and that their age and mental health appeared to have had an "adverse effect" on their sound judgement. 

Although the couple would not be sent straight to prison, Mr McMahon said the pair should not take that to mean they have been let off lightly.

"You will have to live with this significant loss of good character as you mature into adulthood."

Pictured top: Topley and Saunders were sentenced in Guernsey's Royal Court.