A CINDERFORD teenager has avoided a four-and-a-half year prison sentence for dealing in drugs after the Crown Prosecution Service went ahead with the lesser charge of possession.

Instead, 18-year-old Luke Hall was handed an 18-month suspended sentence by a judge at Gloucester Crown Court.

Prosecutor Jack Barry explained to the court that on June 12 this year, two police officers attended Luke Hall’s home address in Edge Hills Road in Cinderford and executed a search warrant.

Sgt Wheeler entered the building through the unlocked front door. He shouted that they were the police and were exercising their right to enter. The officers went upstairs and startled Hall who was in bed. 

“He immediately told the officers he had some cocaine in his bedside cabinet. He opened the drawer and handed over a large ball of white powder, wrapped in cling film.

Mr Barry said: “At this point he was arrested for possession with intent to supply the class A drug. A further search of the property was conducted and a bag of cannabis, a class B drug, was found in the bedroom.”

The court was told that he pleaded not guilty to the charges for which he was arrested, but admitted being in possession of the cocaine and cannabis.

Mr Barry said that this lesser charge was acceptable because there was no evidence of Hall actually dealing drugs and added there was nothing on his phone to confirm he was a drug dealer, despite £1,000 in cash being found in the property.

Anthony Bignall, defending, explained that Hall had been under pressure to sell the class A drugs and had admitted the procession charge at the earliest opportunity in the magistrates’ court.

“Should Hall maintain his liberty today, he has an apprenticeship lined up and therefore despite this being a class A drugs offence, he would clearly benefit from a sentence in the community,” Mr Bignall said.

The judge, Recorder Ramin Pakrooh told Hall: “Typically a defendant charged with your offences would be looking at a prison sentence of four-and-a-half years.

“However, the Crown have taken a different view and categorised it as not being a significant role but you were performing a limited function under direction. You were engaged by pressure, under coercion, intimidation and grooming.

“I note that you were having to make decisions in your life, despite your lack of maturity. You had no real understanding of the scale of operation or could exert any pressure on the chain of command.”

The judge sentenced Hall to a prison term of 18 months, suspended for two years and ordered to complete 150 hours of unpaid work and attend 40 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

The judge ordered the forfeiture and destruction of all drugs and the deprivation of the £1,000 in cash.

Recorder Pakrooh concluded: “You might have suffered from a disruptive education, but when you begin your apprenticeship and acquire the necessary skills and find yourself being rewarded financially for a good day's work, you might find things fall into place and have a positive outlook on life going forward. I wish you luck in your future.”