Drug dealer Sean Hendrick avoids jail because he served in the army
by Paul Hooper
Drug dealer Sean Hendrick has escaped going to prison... because
he once served his country in the army.
The 27-year-old father was nabbed during a police raid at his
home in The Grove, Deal last August.
Officers found more than 87g of skunk cannabis – with a street
value of £900 - and £1,700 in cash on the floor.
But the ex-squaddie claimed all the cannabis was to feed his
£60-a-day habit – and the cash was housing benefits, tax rebates
and money belonging to his partner, which he planned to use to
settle his rent arrears.
However, Hendrick, who now lives in Jubilee Road, Sandwich has
admitted he had the cannabis to sell for commercial gain.
But Judge Simon James spared Hendrick a trip to jail after
hearing he had served with the 2nd Prince Of Wales Regiment,
completing two tours in Northern Ireland.
He told him: “If anybody still labours under the misapprehension
that cannabis doesn’t ruin lives they only have to look at you.
“You have gone from a soldier serving your country to the dock
in this court facing prison in just a few years. Yours has been a
road paved with pain and anguish caused by your addiction to
cannabis.”
Canterbury Crown Court heard that the labourer – who left the
army five years ago – was still claiming that he only supplied
cannabis to friends – even though police found numerous text
requests on his mobile phone from people asking for drug deals.
The judge added: “I wasn’t born yesterday... it is perfectly
obvious from the evidence that you were a dealer prepared to supply
cannabis beyond the close group of friends and acquaintances.
"Yours has been a road paved with pain and anguish caused by your addiction to cannabis" – Judge Simon James
“You did this to earn
a living and to sentence you on any other basis would fly in the
face of the overwhelming evidence to the contrary.
"However I am prepared to accept that you are a heavy user and
therefore much of your profit would have literally gone up in
smoke.”
Hendrick’s lawyer Kerry Waitt said he had now reduced his drugs
intake from £60 a day to £10 a day and was determined to stop.
The judge said the offence deserved a 12 month prison sentence
but he was prepared to suspend it for 18 months – after ordering
Hendrick to undertake a six-month course to tackle his drug
problem.
He added: “You could have no genuine grievance if I were to send
you into custody. But it seems to me that everybody is entitled to
one last chance, particularly those who have served their country
in the armed forces.
“However this is your absolutely last chance... make no mistake
about it.”
He also ordered Hendricks to do 200 hours of unpaid work and pay
£200 costs. The £1,745 seized by police will also be forfeited.
29/01/13
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