A West Cumbria laundry employee, exposed as a cannabis dealer after he was seen behaving strangely at work, has been handed a suspended prison sentence.
James Scowcroft, now 27, was believed to be under the influence of drugs while at the Lillyhall business premises on October 30 2019.
Scowcroft’s behaviour was drawn to the attention of a manager, and a search was carried out of a backpack.
Inside, a tea caddy was found to contain 12 snap-sealed bags of bush cannabis. In a metal tin was more of the drug which had been ground into a herbal substance. This was potentially worth around £140 in total.
Messages on a phone seized were consistent with illegal supply. One sent by Scowcroft read: “Got some nice smoke pal.”
He admitted charges of supplying cannabis and possessing the drug with intent to supply, on the basis of supplying to friends of friends to fund his own use.
Scowcroft, of Barfs Road, Distington, was sentenced at Carlisle Crown Court today. It was said his life was now stable, he was abstinent from drugs and had the offer of work as an apprentice roofer and labourer. Prison, said his lawyer, Sean Harkin, would send him back to square one.
Recorder Paul Hodgkinson suspended an eight-month jail term for 12 months.
Scowcroft was ordered to complete a rehabilitation requirement, 100 hours’ unpaid work and a three-month electronically monitored night time curfew.
“There is some hope of rehabilitation in your case,” Recorder Hodgkinson told the defendant.
