Man given suspended jail term for drug possession
THERE were tears in court as a 22-year-old Creamfields reveller was given another chance after he admitted possessing ecstasy and cocaine with intent to supply.
Dominic Evans, of Manchester Road, Chapel-en-le-Frith, Derbyshire, appeared at Chester Crown Court on Friday, where he was sentenced to 18 months in prison, suspended for 18 months, with a curfew to run for four months between 9pm and 6am.
Judge Steven Everett, Recorder Of Chester, also imposed a 20-hour rehabilitation requirement.
Derek Jones, prosecuting, said Evans was caught at Creamfields in Daresbury last year on August 25.
Security guards had
● spotted him ‘touching his nose’ and searched him, finding £120 in cash, a phone, 18 ecstasy tablets, 1.1 grams of ecstasy in its MDMA crystal form, and 1.27 grams of 82%-pure cocaine described as a ‘premium product’.
The drugs were all Class A substances.
His phone was analysed and messages relating to dealing drugs, mainly cannabis, were found.
The court heard that Evans had pleaded guilty on the basis that the drugs were mainly for his own consumption while at the four-day festival and that he was only intending to sell five tablets and the cocaine to one friend.
Simon Christie, defending, said the offences were 15 months ago, Evans had pleaded guilty, and had no ‘real’ previous convictions, had never been in custody and ‘comes before your honour with great trepidation’.
Evans had started using drugs to ‘selfmedicate’ with cannabis after the traumatic break-up of his parents, the court heard.
Sentencing the defendant, Judge Everett said he was not convinced, adding that two revellers have died in recent years at the Creamfields festival and that the consequences of being caught in possession of drugs are clearly advertised for those entering the festival.
He said: “You need to understand there’s a wealth of evidence showing cannabis causes mental health problems for people like you with mental health problems.
“It’s a lose-lose situation in every single way.
“You’re paying money for it, and you’re making yourself ill.
“There can be no good future in using or supplying these drugs.”
There were sobs from the public gallery and tears in the dock as the sentenced was passed.