Teenager jailed as suspended sentence is activated

Caught with cannabis despite last chance

A MAN given a suspended prison sentence for drug dealing took one more gamble with his liberty... and lost.

William David Jewell looked stunned as Newbury magistrates told him that the sentence, which had been handed down by a Reading Crown Court judge, would be activated with immediate effect.

Helen Gambrill, prosecuting on Thursday, January 28, revealed that the 18-year-old, of The Haven, Inkpen Road, Kintbury, had received a three-month prison sentence for drug dealing in February last year.

However, she revealed, the judge had suspended the sentence, warning that it could be activated if Mr Jewell committed another offence during the suspension period.

Then, on January 9, said Ms Gambrill, “Two officers saw the defendant and smelled a strong smell of cannabis.

“Mr Jewell went into a bookmakers and members of the public alerted the officers to his whereabouts.

“Mr Jewell ran out the back as the officers went in.

“He ran into a car park where he was apprehended and a bag of cannabis was found on him. He was taken to the police station where two more bags were found on him.”

Mr Jewell admitted possessiong the Class B controlled drug in The Broadway, Thatcham.

He further admitted breaching the suspended sentence order imposed for possessing drugs with intent to supply and breaching a conditional discharge imposed for another prior offence.

Adonis Daniel, defending, pleaded with the court to show leniency, pointing to his client’s youth and the fact that he had attended probation appointments.

He added: “He is still a young man.

“It may be that this is the final opportunity he needs to understand that possession of cannabis is an offence and that, if he transgresses again, he will be going to prison.

“He has completed all but 19 hours’ unpaid work which was imposed as part of the suspended sentence order.”

But after retiring to consider, magistrates told Mr Jewell that they had heard nothing to dissuade them from activating the three-month prison sentence.

However, they announced that they would reduce the term to six weeks imprisonment to reflect the amount of unpaid work Mr Jewell had completed before re-offending.