Mansfield man caught with cannabis admitted ‘selling a bit to my mates’ to cop

Steven Lane made the comment after his home was raided on December 6, 2020, at 9am, following a tip-off, when ‘a small amount of cannabis consistent with personal use’ and £90 in cash, were found in a plastic bag under his kitchen sink.

Andrew Conboy, prosecuting at Mansfield Magistrates’ Court, said analysis of his phone showed ‘significant messages’ detailing weights, prices, quality and deals, but there was no evidence he advertised the cannabis.

Lane, aged 34, of James Murray Mews, admitted possession with intent to supply.

Morgan Hogarth, mitigating, said Lane, who has no previous convictions or cautions, is unsuitable for unpaid work, because of a number of long-standing health issues.

He said: “He exercised his right to silence. He made a significant statement at the time. He is entitled to credit. The offence is 20 months old.”

The court heard Lane suffers from a degenerative disease of his hip joint and used cannabis as pain relief.

Mr Hogarth said: “He sold a very limited amount to a very limited circle of contacts to effectively fund his own supply.

“He is impoverished and living on Universal Credit. He wasn't making any profits.

“The cash under the sink was money saved from his benefits that he was hiding from his wife.”

He spends a lot of money on cat food for his five cats which help him deal with the depression and anxiety he has endured for seven years, Mr Hogarth added.

Lane was given a 12-month community order with 10 rehabilitation activity sessions. He was also fined £40 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £95 surcharge.

The magistrates told him: “You're not normally the sort of person who we expect to see in court. You didn't have a huge amount of drugs.

“You now have a conviction on your record. If you were to come back again the outcome could be a lot more serious.”

The cash was confiscated and the drugs were forfeited and destroyed.