Buckley,North Wales - Suspended term given to man after drugs find in Buckley

Published date: 03 November 2015 | 

Published by: Staff reporter
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POLICE found drugs when they carried out a search warrant at a house in Buckley.

Officers forced their way into the house in Powell Road in Buckley and seized cannabis and MCAT.

Gavin Paul Florence, 25, admitted he possessed both drugs with intent to supply but was spared immediate custody yesterday.

At Mold Crown Court, he received a 10-month prison sentence, suspended for two years. He was sent on a thinking skills course and must stay indoors for the next four months between 8pm and 6am.

Judge David Hale said Florence was obviously “heavily involved” in drugs for some time.

In his basis of plea, he had admitted supplying drugs in the past but fortunately for him there was no charge to reflect that supply.

“If there had been then I may be taking a very different course,” the judge told him.

He had admitted possessing the drugs, which was seized by police, with intent to supply in the future.

The starting point was 15 months. It would be cut to 10 months due to his admissions but the sentence would be suspended, the judge said.

Gerry Pachter, defending, said his client made no money out of it.

He developed a drugs habit.

Everyone on the text messages that had been found were friends of his, not strangers.

It had been going on for a few weeks in February and March and he had not made anything out of it, simply to support his own drug taking. Ideally, Florence would like to get a job and earn a proper, legal living, Mr Pachter explained.

But he was handicapped by ADHD for which he was medicated and some learning difficulties.

Mr Pachter said if the court was prepared to give him a chance by suspending the custodial sentence then Florence would show good faith and comply with any community order.

Prosecuting barrister Caroline Harris told how police officers executed a search warrant at the defendant’s home address in Powell Road on March 27 this year.

They forced entry and seized 23 grammes of cannabis with an estimated street value of £233 and 60 grammes of MCAT with an estimated street value of between £900 and £1,500.

Arrested in May he claimed the drugs were for his own use but analysis of his mobile phone showed he had sold drugs from his home, meeting customers and trusting people by giving credit.

In his basis of plea, Florence said he had become heavily involved with drugs and for a short period and he only supplied to friends.

The profit had been used to fund his own habit.