Teenager given community service for drug offence (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Teenager given community service for drug offence

8:40am Thursday 31st January 2008 in Swindon By Gazette Reporter

A teenager who was caught with more than £1,000 worth of cannabis has walked free from court.

David Vinall was found with the drugs, some of which was the powerful skunk variety, when police stopped him for walking along the middle of the road in the early morning.

But after hearing the 18-year-old was only looking after the drugs for someone else, came from a good family and was on an apprenticeship a judge decided not to jail him.

Lynne Henderson, prosecuting, told Swindon crown court how Vinall and pal Jonathan Capaldi were stopped shortly after 5amon Saturday February 3 between Highworth and South Marston.

She said the lads had been walking along the middle of the road but when they were being spoken to officers smelled cannabis and searched them.

Vinall was carrying a plastic bag which had another bag inside which contained 18 sealed freezer bags which contained a total of 446 grams of cannabis.

Miss Henderson said some of the drugs were skunk and some herbal cannabis and had a total street value of between £1,000 and £1,500.

When he was questioned Vinall told police he had been storing the drugs in his bedroom but moved them when his mother started snooping.

However he only pleaded guilty on the basis that he was looking after the bag for a pal for a short period when the police arrived.

Vinall, of Highworth Road, South Marston, admitted possessing drugs with intent to supply.

Marcus Davey, defending, said his client was a man of good character and unlike Capaldi there were no drugs found at his house.

Judge Douglas Field passed a community sentence and told the teenager to do 150 hours of community service and pay £250 costs.

He said "This is a serious skirmish with the law. You come from a good family; you are doing an apprenticeship so when you have done your 150 hours put this behind you."

Last year Capaldi, 19, of Manor Park, South Marston, was ordered to do 129 hours of community service after he pleaded guilty to possessing cannabis with intent to supply.

He had £350 cash on him, which he was ordered to forfeit, when he was arrested and when his home was searched was found to have about half a kilo of cannabis.