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Took cannabis for pain relief
A BRIDLINGTON man who took cannabis to ease the pain of a chronic degenerative illness has been given a conditional discharge.
Johnathan Helm, of Matson Road, Bridlington, pleaded guilty to two charges of possessing a Class B drug relating to incidents on July 1 and August 26 last year, at a hearing at Bridlington Magistrates Court last Wednesday (Jan 25).
Prosecuting, Victoria Mills told the court that Helm, 23, had first been found with cannabis at his home on July 1 when a local PCSO and a housing officer had visited the property.
They discovered the remains of what was described as a ‘cannabis factory’ in the attic of the property, and an amount of powdered herbal cannabis worth around £120. Helm denied to police that the cannabis belonged to him, as his condition meant he could not have got into the loft, but did admit to officers that he used cannabis to help him sleep.
A PCSO and housing officer returned to the property on August 26 and again found Helm in possession of around £110 worth of the Class B drug.
Mitigating, Vicky Lancaster told the court that the degenerative muscle condition Helm suffered from was very rare, with only around 500 or so sufferers in England. She said he was diagnosed at 15 and had been unable to work due to the condition, but lived on his own with his carer girlfriend to retain a degree of independence.
“The position with him is that his dad has found that there was what he called ‘local scrotes’ who have been going to his sons house and setting up this cannabis factory in his loft,” said Ms Lancaster.
“They tell him that he should have some (cannabis) to help with the pain, so he starts taking it palliatively. They have threatened him and what really takes the biscuit is they start charging him for it.
“The police have seen this, PC Prendergast is not daft and he can see Mr Helm can’t get himself up into the loft.”
Presiding magistrate Mike Bowman said: “We have heard what has been said and we do have a lot of sympathy, but you have made a conscious decision to smoke cannabis on two occasions.”
Helm was given a 12 month conditional discharge, and told to pay £85 court costs, while Mr Bowman ordered forfeiture and destruction of the cannabis.
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Comments
There are 5 comments to this article
Page 1 of 1
mary james
Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 07:13 PMsounds like the local PCSO plastic plod was out to get him too. scum.......... and i wonder why the housing officer had a police escort. ..........this is how prohibition victimises poor people. when was the last time you read about a middle class lad getting busted?
cshaws
Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 04:08 PM“We have heard what has been said and we do have a lot of sympathy, but you have made a conscious decision to smoke cannabis on two occasions.” - what patronising twaddle. What has this poor bloke done. Surely he is living proof of the safeness and efficacy of cannabis in keeping us healthy. And meanwhile GW Pharmaceuticals grow 20 tons of high quality, high potency cannabis in six large greenhouses in Kent, extract all the active ingredients, bottle it and sell it to the NHS at ten times the street price - all with full government blessing. They are doing the same as this poor chap but on a huge scale. Why are they not arrested?? These ridiculous laws are designed to do one thing, and one thing only, - PROTECT THE PROFITIBILITY OF BIG PHARMA, TOBACCO AND ALCOHOL INTERESTS.”
PeterReynolds
Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 03:19 PMEnd the prohibition of cannabis. Minimise all health and social harms. Pull the rug from under organised crime. Boost the UK economy by up to £9.3 billion per annum. Permit the use of one of the safest and most effective medicines known to man.
TulsaGrimley
Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 03:01 PMWhy what did that man do wrong? He is quite clearly not a criminal, cannabis may be illegal but no law should stand in the way of a person suffering. Why are we allowing the courts to basically mug an old man? The Government = National Scrotes....you make me sick. Thank you bridlingtonfreepress for not reporting this in a daily mail fashion. Peace
Tom Laz Bisley
Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 02:54 PMWow. Even though the court admits that the poor guy couldn't get into the loft and that local thugs have been bullying him into using his attic to grow weed the fact he smokes a bit of it himself makes him a criminal. It's time this insane law was overturned, does the justice system have nothing better to do than torment disabled people who if they turned to alcohol to ease their pain wouldn't be classed as a criminal?
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