A ‘PROFESSIONAL drug dealer’ whose customers included an inmate in La Moye prison has been jailed for 11 years and four months.
Shane Derek Lloyd (39) – who has 16 previous convictions for drugs offences – at first claimed that the large quantities of cocaine and cannabis resin found in his two properties were for his personal use. They had a total street value of more than £43,000.
But he later pleaded guilty to two charges of possession of drugs with intent to supply and five charges of being concerned in the supply of drugs. Lloyd appeared in the Royal Court for sentencing yesterday.
Deputy Bailiff Robert MacRae, presiding, said that supplying drugs to a prisoner in particular merited a stiff sentence.
Advocate Lauren Hallam, prosecuting, told the court that on the morning of 10 March, States police officers had gone to Lloyd’s home in St Saviour for a different matter, but while there they discovered cocaine, cannabis resin and drugs paraphernalia such as electronic scales and resealable plastic bags.
Later that morning they went to another property he rented in Trinity and found more cocaine and cannabis.
In total, they found 81 grams of cocaine and 1.25 kilos of cannabis resin – with a combined street value of around £43,210.
They also discovered a phone containing details of drug deals, including sales of cocaine and cannabis resin to a prisoner in La Moye in October.
Advocate Hallam said some had been thrown over a wall and some had been carried in by a female visitor to the prison.
Advocate Hallam recommended a sentence of 12 years, saying: ‘The defendant is not of good character. He is at high risk of reoffending.’
Advocate Allana Binnie, defending, argued for a sentence of eight years.
She said Lloyd had had ‘a difficult upbringing in a place where criminal activity was the norm’ and pointed out that he had a long-standing drug habit, so some of the drugs had been for his personal use.
Lloyd maintained that he had found the drugs, and also offered the name of a drug dealer, but neither of these were accepted by prosecutors. However, Advocate Binnie stressed: ‘There is no evidence that he was involved in the importation itself.’
And she added: ‘He was in an extremely bad state in March. He is thankful he was arrested, before he did more harm to himself or others.’
The Deputy Bailiff described Lloyd as ‘a professional drug dealer’ and told him: ‘You were heavily involved in drug dealing in Jersey on a commercial basis, and you were actively supplying cocaine and cannabis to a serving prisoner in La Moye for onward supply inside the prison.
‘Dealing in drugs is very serious and this was particularly serious, with the risk of bullying, violence and anti-social behaviour from introducing drugs to such an environment,’ he added.
The Jurats sitting with the Deputy Bailiff were Jane Ronge, Robert Christensen, Gareth Hughes, Alison Opferman and Mike Berry.
Following the sentencing, Detective Sergeant Jim McGranahan, who heads the States force’s drug squad, said: ‘We are committed to removing illegal drugs from Jersey and seeing those responsible for supplying them put before the courts.
‘We continue to work with our partners and other agencies to protect our community from the harm these drugs can cause.’
