70-year-old Cannabis Grower Jailed

[LdyLunatic]

United Kingdom
09 Sep 2006


70-YEAR-OLD CANNABIS GROWER JAILED
by Stewart Payne,
A pensioner who is believed to be Britain's oldest convicted drug dealer was jailed for 18 months yesterday after a court heard that he had more than 400 cannabis plants in his greenhouse.

George Axton, 70, was found guilty of cultivating and conspiracy to supply the drug at an earlier trial and was sentenced at Winchester Crown Court yesterday. The court heard that the drugs were worth UKP150,000.

Axton, who runs a care home for young adults in Fordingbridge, Hants, was in court with Richard Kershaw, 29, who was sentenced to 15 months and Gavin Harries, 30, who helped tend the crop and was jailed for a year. Both were convicted of the same charges as Axton.

David Stone, 32, admitted cultivating cannabis and possession of the Class C drug and was jailed for 18 months.

[CB]

Both were convicted of the same charges as Axton.


why the different jail terms? can anyone from the uk shed some light on this?

[Stayin'Sane]

I live here in the UK and I certainly am no legal expert...my guess is that being the home owner the judge deemed him more responsible than the others who were only 'assisting' him. It could also be that his position as a 'care home runner' pissed the judge off. It does not say what kind of care home he ran, it could have been for mentally disturbed young men or possibly young men with physical disabilities. But I tend to believe that those 2 factors are why he got the stiffer deal. He was also growing a lot of plants...something that really went against him. The laws in this country are as mixed as anywhere. It's totally legal to have and to sell seeds...but not to grow the plants. If you are caught with less than half a kilo its not much trouble at all...but have more than that amount (or have it wrapped in 'street deal' ready packaging) and they tend to get a little upset. Now keep in mind that this is only my opinion...perhaps someone else from the UK can shed more light on the subject.

[becky420]

i live in the uk, and they are sooooooooooooo easy with people over here.you get away with murder, you get a few yrs in the pen, not life..shoplifters get a slap on the wrist,so i am sure it was a slap in the face and he got off easy..ps..£150,000 = at today prices uk pound to the us dollar is=$279,866