Andrew John Jones (25) was given a six-year sentence by the Superior Number after admitting possession with intent to supply ecstasy, amphetamine sulphate and cannabis, supplying ecstasy and amphetamine sulphate, and cultivating four cannabis plants.Francis McFarland (36) admitted possessing cannabis, allowing the smoking of cannabis on his premises, possession with intent to supply cannabis, amphetamine sulphate and ecstasy, and supplying cannabis.Before sentencing McFarland, whose counsel, Advocate James Bell, had spoken of the hardship a prison sentence would cause on his family, the Bailiff, Sir Philip Bailhache, said that the impact of prison on fathers and families was always a sad factor in offences of this kind, causing misery and financial hardship.Nevertheless, McFarland was a mature man, and he must have known of the unhappy consequences of committing serious drugs offences.
He was sentenced to four years.A similar term was meted out to 21-year-old William Pinkowski, who admitted possessing cannabis and ecstasy and possessing ecstasy with intent to supply.Crown Advocate Conrad Yates said that the charges followed the searching by warrant of a property in St Clement where McFarland lived.
He and Jones had been present when drugs were seized including ecstasy valued at £500, amphetamine sulphate worth a total of £549 and £1,444 worth of cannabis.Pinkowski, who arrived at the house, was found to have £1,520 worth of ecstasy on him.
During a search of Jones’s home, a drugs dog found £3,360 worth of ecstasy tablets, cannabis valued at £640 and utensils associated with drug dealing.Taking into account the relevant mitigation, Advocate Yates called for sentences for Jones, McFarland and Pinkowski of six, four and four years respectively.Counsel for Jones, Advocate Rebecca Juste, said that her client’s epileptic condition made it virtually impossible for him to find employment.When approached by a dealer to sell drugs, he had first refused and then succumbed.By admitting to police that he had supplied about 1,000 ecstasy tablets over a month, her client had effectively written his own indictment, she said.Representing McFarland, Advocate Bell said that acting as a minder for the drugs for a short period had been out of character for his client, and an act which had led to him being particularly remorseful.
By his admissions, he too had effectively written his own indictment in some respects, he submitted.For Pinkowski, Advocate Julian Gollop said that his client had come from a hard environment in Glasgow and had been introduced to drugs at an early age.The Bailiff was sitting with Jurats Quérée, Le Brocq, Tibbo, Bullen, Allo and King.
