Suspended Sentence in Production of Cannabis Case

Case study summary

Our client had served in the British Armed Forces and instructed us to represent him after he was charged with producing cannabis.

We drafted mitigation from his instructions and instructed an expert barrister. The court was ultimately persuaded to grant a suspended sentence.

Case study

We were approached by our client and his family following a charge being issued for producing cannabis.

Our client had been without legal representation or assistance since the date of his interview as he chose not to have a solicitor present for his police interview. Understandably, this left our client with a lot of uncertainty and confusion about the process ahead of him.

Over three years later he received a charge by post to attend Manchester and Salford Magistrates' Court.

Our firm was instructed to represent this client at his first Magistrates' Court hearing. He confirmed that he intended to plead guilty to the charge he faced and was sent to Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court to be sentenced.

We rigorously analysed the prosecution's case and evidence to prepare for the case and drafted detailed mitigation relating to our client's time in the armed forces, work abroad and circumstances that led to the offending taking place.

Our client explained that he had lived an exciting and varied life abroad, before returning to the UK to serve in the armed forces. This had given him purpose and structure in his life, but

In preparation for the Crown Court we instructed a trusted barrister to speak on our client's behalf and put our mitigation forwards to persuade the judge that a suspended sentence was the most appropriate decision in this case.

The judge was persuaded by our arguments and sentenced our client to a suspended sentence and community order.

Because of this decision our client was able to return to the work he had been doing and move on from the uncertainty he had been feeling throughout the years since his arrest.