AN ‘ACTIVE dealer of class A and class B drugs who was caught with cocaine, cannabis, cash and an incriminating message on his phone has been sentenced to 180 hours of community service – and told he only avoided prison because of his age.
Paulo Ricardo Assuncao Santos admitted charges of possessing cocaine, herbal cannabis and cannabis resin with an intent to supply, and of being concerned in the supply of ketamine, a class B drug.
He is now 18 years-old, but was 17 at the time of the offences in November last year.
Advocate Luke Sette, prosecuting, said the teenager had been stopped in St Helier by a States police officer at 2am on 7 November and told the officer he had been ‘on a bender’. The advocate said: ‘When he was asked if drugs were involved, he became nervous and tried to back away.’
Santos then began to run away but was soon caught. His rucksack was found to contain 23 grams of cocaine, 41 grams of herbal cannabis, 21 grams of cannabis resin and £425 in cash.
There was also a mobile phone containing messages which showed he had been involved in supplying drugs, including ketamine, to others.
Advocate Sette pointed out that Santos was deemed ‘at moderate risk of reconviction’ but had no previous convictions and had pleaded guilty early, so said: ‘The Crown has concluded, by the finest margin, that a non-custodial sentence can be imposed.’
He recommended a 180-hour community service order and a 12-month probation order.
Advocate Sarah Dale, defending, accepted the prosecution’s recommendation but said that her client was the victim of exploitation by other dealers.
She explained that Santos had developed a drug habit at the age of 16 and owed his own suppliers money, and said: ‘There was no commercial gain or profit. The benefit to him was to reduce the considerable debt of £5,000 that he had amassed.’
But she added: ‘He takes full responsibility and blames himself.’
Deputy Bailiff Robert MacRae said that agreeing to a community punishment and probation order ‘had not been an easy decision for the court’. He told the teenager: ‘You are an active dealer of class A and class B drugs.
‘You should be in absolutely no doubt at all that had you been an adult at the time you would be commencing a lengthy sentence of imprisonment, measured in years and not months.’
He added: ‘You’re being given a chance. We hope we won’t see you again in this court or any court.’
The Jurats presiding were Gareth Hughes and Mike Berry.
