Addict escapes jail sentence
John Slone was arrested in Derby regarding an unrelated matter and taken to St Marys Wharf police station where cannabis was found in a cigarette packet he was carrying.
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Hide AdBecky Mahon, prosecuting, told Chesterfield magistrates it was a small amount of cannabis worth about £5.
Slone, 38, of King Street, Hodthorpe, admitted possessing drugs on 24th October.
He had previous convictions for drug offences.
The court heard that he received a suspended prison sentence last August following a conviction for assault.
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Hide AdThe bench decided not to activate the suspended sentence and imposed a one-year conditional discharge, with £100 costs.
The cannabis seized will be destroyed.
Steve Brint, for Slone, said: “He has been a drug user for 25 years and it has led to numerous court appearances.”
“To his credit he no longer uses heroin and crack cocaine, which he was addicted to.”
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Hide Ad“He dabbles with cannabis and is trying to wean himself off it.
“It would be unjust to activate the suspended sentence for possession of a small amount of cannabis.”
Mr Brint said Slone had been unwell for a long time and regularly attended Bassetlaw Hospital to see a psychiatrist, an anger management counsellor and a doctor regarding his back problem.