Teenager caught with drugs avoids community service (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Teenager caught with drugs avoids community service

3:57pm Wednesday 13th February 2008 in Swindon

A teenager who was caught with thousands of pounds worth of cannabis he was looking after for a dealer has been told he doesn't have to complete his community service.

Jonathan Capaldi was told to do 120 hours of unpaid work after admitting possessing the drugs with intent to supply.

But after failing on the order after doing just 15 hours of the work the order has been revoked and he has been told to pay a £750 fine.

The 19-year-old had organised times to do the work with the probation service but then failed to attend when work came up.

Marcus Davey, prosecuting, said he failed to turn up on December 14 and then again week later on December 21.

He said that Capaldi had produced documents to show he had been working even though he had agreed to turn up for the community service.

But he said the probation service had taken "a sympathetic view of Mr Capaldi's plight" and asked for the order to be revoked and replaced with another sentence.

Chris Smyth, defending, said his client worked as a shop fitter taking home about £1,500 a month and living with his parents.

Imposing the fine and ending the order Recorder Rosie Collins said "It seems it is unworkable because of the type of work that you do."

Capaldi was found with almost half a kilogram of the drug stored in his wardrobe after he and a pal were found walking the streets with about 200 grams of the drug.

The lads were spotted in South Marston early on the morning of Saturday February 3 last year.

An officer stopped his patrol car to speak to them on Highworth Road shortly before 6am but as he talked to them he could smell cannabis.

He searched them and found the other youth had a carrier bag containing 18 freezer bags which contained dried green material.

It was found to be 195 grams of cannabis and when Capaldi was searched at the police station he was found to have £350 in cash.

A search was made of Capaldi"s home and in his bedroom officers found a further 18 medium sized bags containing a total of 446.1 grams of cannabis.

At an earlier hearing Claire Marlow told the court "He was interviewed by the police and he said he knew what it was.

"He had both the money and the drugs which he was holding for another person who he named who he said was a drug dealer."

She said one of the alleged dealer's fingerprints was found on a bag but there was no other evidence against him so he was not prosecuted.

The other teenager who he was first spotted walking with is being prosecuted for his part in storing the drugs.

Capaldi, of Manor Park, South Marston, pleaded guilty to possessing cannabis with intent to supply.