James Halsall, 37, returned to his Carmarthen home on the afternoon of March 11 last year to find Dyfed-Powys Police officers searching the property after receiving information that he was in possession of drugs.
During the search, officers discovered 528.1g of cannabis in the basement, along with £2,500 in notes, snap bags, and weighing scales. The total value of the drugs seized was estimated at £5,281.
Drugs found in basement
Halsall, of Southern Terrace, Pensarn, Carmarthen, admitted that the cannabis belonged to him. At a sentencing hearing at Swansea Crown Court on Friday, Recorder Ben Blakemore heard that Halsall was addicted to cannabis and used it to treat epilepsy.
The judge accepted that “the majority” of the cannabis was for personal use, but there was enough evidence to charge Halsall with possession with intent to supply Class B drugs, which he admitted.
Mitigation and sentencing
In mitigation, defence barrister David Singh said that during the search at his home, Halsall himself told police officers where the drugs were hidden as they could not be found. He also removed his dogs from the property so that the search could be conducted.
Addressing Halsall in court, Recorder Blakemore said it was “misguided to use cannabis to treat epilepsy”. He also told Halsall that he had an “array of previous convictions”, two of which were for drug related offences.
Halsall was handed a 36-week prison sentence which will be suspended for 12 months. He must complete 120 hours of unpaid work and be subject to a tag-monitored nine-hour curfew between 9pm and 6am every night for two months.
