More cannabis suppliers behind bars

Wednesday 12 December 2018

Two men have been sent to prison after pleading guilty to their own involvement in selling cannabis.

Anthony Hamon, 24 (at the time of offending) is now facing two years, 11 months in Les Nicolles, after he was arrested on the 14 November 2017 by Guernsey Police on Collings Road.

He fled when the officers asked if they could conduct a drugs search, and he had to be chased down. When the officers did handcuff and search him, he was found to have cannabis resin and digital scales. Later at the police station, Hamon also told police there was more cannabis and approximately £80 in cash in his jacket.

Ryan Archer, 25 and 26 at the time of the offences, is going to be in prison for two years and five months. He was found in Hamon's property when police went to search it on the evening of his arrest. Inside, they not only found Archer, but also a can of pepper spray and more cannabis - both in one large chunk and in smaller, 1g wraps. 

But appearing before Guernsey's Royal Court yesterday, the two men not only faced a set of charges from this incident, they were also both arrested while on bail early in February this year, after Police pulled the pair over to tell Hamon his brake light was out.

When they asked Hamon to step out of the drivers seat so they could demonstrate the brake light was out, an officer noticed there was an amount of wrapped cannabis resin in the footwell. Hamon then surrendered more cannabis resin in his pocket and some in a cigarette packet, and a further two amounts of cash, each over £120, were found. 

On a second search of Hamon's property - where Archer was staying as he was "sofa surfing" after being evicted from his own home - police found a wallet with Archer's ID in, along with an LSD tab. 

Police seized mobile phones belonging to both men. 4,300 messages were analysed on Hamon's device and more than 17,000 messages analysed on Archer's. Of these, some were used as evidence corroborating the fact both men had been involved in selling cannabis to other people. The court heard examples of messages where the men had been arranging sales. 

Pictured: Les Nicolles Prison. 

Both Archer and Hamon have related previous convictions, with Hamon being given 30 months in youth detention for intent to supply drugs early in 2014. He was a lifeguard at Beau Sejour and was found with nearly 500 grams of cannabis resin in his staff locker. 

Advocate Liam Roffey, representing Archer, said his client had been dependant on drugs since he was just 14, and had used the money generated from selling cannabis to pay for his addictions. Archer hoped to use his inevitable time in prison to finally "get clean", and turn his life around. Advocate Roffey also told the court Archer was given the can of pepper spray - an illegal weapon - by a friend when they were leaving the island. Archer had kept it because he was still worried about the potential of being attacked, following a time he was assaulted in 2011. 

Hamon's representative, Advocate Catherine Fooks, passed on a verbal apology from her client, and also spoke about his "established history of substance abuse". Going forwards, she said her client had the support of his family, and was turning his back on the groups of people involved in drugs.

Overall, Archer was charged with, and pleaded guilty to, involvement in the supply of cannabis, possession of an illicit weapon - the pepper spray - possession of cannabis and possession of LSD. Hamon pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of cannabis, resisting arrest and possession of cannabis. 

Judge Russell Finch applied the totality principal when dealing with the drugs charges, and he and the Jurats gave Hamon two years and 10 months for the drugs, and one month for resisting arrest. They gave Archer two years and four months for the drugs charges and one month for the pepper spray can. Judge Finch added the aggravating factor in Hamon's case was his recent serious offending.