Welder Andrew Prior given wake-up call as cannabis use spirals out of control  

A CANNABIS smoker and dealer whose use began to "spiral out of control" when his partner left him for a friend has vowed to kick the habit after he ended up in court.

Welder Andrew Prior, 26, was a heavy cannabis smoker who had already started to grow the drug because he could no longer afford to buy as much he needed.

He began to abuse it even more when the mother of his two children left him for one of his friends, Hull Crown Court heard.

But after the "wake-up call" of being arrested and charged with two criminal offences, he pledged to quit, his barrister said.

Referring to his pre-sentence report, Paul Norton, for Prior, said: "He made it clear to the author of the report that being arrested and facing a sentence of imprisonment has been a real wake-up call.

"He has used the expression 'enough is enough' and has already started to engage with agencies with the aim of curtailing his cannabis use."

Mr Norton said his client was "perhaps especially motivated" to address his cannabis use because he wanted to have more contact with his children.

The barrister added: "It was when the mother of those children rejected Mr Prior and started a relationship with a man who was previously a close friend of Mr Prior's that his use of cannabis began to spiral out of control.

"He simply didn't face up to the situation, but now that he is clear-headed he wishes to do so."

Prior, of Boston Court, Bransholme, admitted production of cannabis, a Class B drug, and possession with intent to supply at an earlier hearing.

The court heard that police discovered text messages on his mobile phone relating to the buying and selling of cannabis.

One was arranging to sell to a man called Jacko, while another, someone called Bush, was arranging for Prior to buy the drug, as was a third message from Davo.

Mr Norton said Prior had a close circle of friends who all smoked cannabis and they used to buy and sell from each other according to who had it at the time.

Mr Norton said that apart from a pair of scales, police had found none of the paraphernalia, such as plastic bags, that might have been expected at a dealer's property.

Officers also seized £475 in cash, which Prior claimed in interview had been an advance on his wages.

Police checked with his employers, who said they had given him a cash advance, but that this was just over £200.

Mr Norton said Prior had "valuable qualifications" in welding, was in full-time and usually "lucrative" work, and was also studying to be an electrician.

The barrister said: "He's also a young man with every chance of leading a law-abiding life and making a valuable contribution as a breadwinner and a taxpayer."

Prior received a 12-month prison sentence, suspended for two years.

http://www.hulldailymail.co.uk 12/04/2014