Hi there guys!
I was busted a month ago due to a strange mixture of bad luck, good gardening skills and plain stupidity.
Me and the missus dealt brilliantly with the situation and with 22 plants in my property i was charged with cultivation, what i found far enough.
My case was fast-tracked to my local Mags Court but in the weeks since it happened i haven´t been sitting on my ass.
I´ve chased my GP in order to provide my solicitor, not the duty one but one of my own choice , with the medical reports proving the medical conditions that caused my illegal actions.
I´ve also enrolled myself in my local drug counseling agency in order to deal with my substance use, not abuse, problem while addressing my multiple health issues. Another report was issued by my case worker making proof of my good will and intentions.
After a couple of odd weeks were missing my plants dearly was the hardest bit finally the dreaded day came.
I had a 10min meeting with my solicitor where i repeated my intention of pleading guilty and we went through the mitigation circumstances all over again. After that i went into the "naughty cage" while my case was presented.
My statement read by the accusation was quite self explanatory mentioning already most of the mitigation points that my solicitor presented again in a very articulated and even funny way.
He went to say that this was a special case were the guidelines should be adapted to my circumstances. The legal adviser, the bloke that tells the guidelines to the mags, told the mags that even if the guidelines to these kind of numbers are the high end of the community service he thought that those would not apply to my case.
The fact that i had several strains, at several stages without any kind of apparent method going on was again played in my favor and i was presented as a innocent and naive bloke with some good gardening skills.
The mags listened and went to deliberate.
No criminal discharge they told me...and i was worrying a bit now
Low end community service and a 40£ fine, not bad i thought.
So after that i went to have a meeting with the probation officer that by now was aware of my health issues, scoliosis and Hep C, and asked my what kind of work would suit my health and personal circumstances a couple of options were shown and i went for a few Saturdays on a local charity shop. 40 hours in total.
So after a few stressful weeks i am finally at ease to get my life back to where it needs to be
Seeds have been germinated to mark this day
So now the points i want to stress out. When caught in a situation where pleading not guilty is not a option, my case, be the more co-operative that you can. Don´t say anything that you haven´t rehearsed before that happened NEVER involve your family or friends in your statement.
Always fill for legal aid . Choose your own solicitor.
Even if it sounds stupid go to your local drug counseling agency and start a "rehab program"
If you told the plod that you were using for med reasons, and you really should, chase your GP in order to get up to date medical reports.
And before all this and much more important than this DON`T GROW 6FT TALL PLANTS WHEN YOU GOT NEXT DOOR NEIGHBORS
Thanks for all the good vibes and kind words of support in these last weeks
I was busted a month ago due to a strange mixture of bad luck, good gardening skills and plain stupidity.
Me and the missus dealt brilliantly with the situation and with 22 plants in my property i was charged with cultivation, what i found far enough.
My case was fast-tracked to my local Mags Court but in the weeks since it happened i haven´t been sitting on my ass.
I´ve chased my GP in order to provide my solicitor, not the duty one but one of my own choice , with the medical reports proving the medical conditions that caused my illegal actions.
I´ve also enrolled myself in my local drug counseling agency in order to deal with my substance use, not abuse, problem while addressing my multiple health issues. Another report was issued by my case worker making proof of my good will and intentions.
After a couple of odd weeks were missing my plants dearly was the hardest bit finally the dreaded day came.
I had a 10min meeting with my solicitor where i repeated my intention of pleading guilty and we went through the mitigation circumstances all over again. After that i went into the "naughty cage" while my case was presented.
My statement read by the accusation was quite self explanatory mentioning already most of the mitigation points that my solicitor presented again in a very articulated and even funny way.
He went to say that this was a special case were the guidelines should be adapted to my circumstances. The legal adviser, the bloke that tells the guidelines to the mags, told the mags that even if the guidelines to these kind of numbers are the high end of the community service he thought that those would not apply to my case.
The fact that i had several strains, at several stages without any kind of apparent method going on was again played in my favor and i was presented as a innocent and naive bloke with some good gardening skills.
The mags listened and went to deliberate.
No criminal discharge they told me...and i was worrying a bit now
Low end community service and a 40£ fine, not bad i thought.
So after that i went to have a meeting with the probation officer that by now was aware of my health issues, scoliosis and Hep C, and asked my what kind of work would suit my health and personal circumstances a couple of options were shown and i went for a few Saturdays on a local charity shop. 40 hours in total.
So after a few stressful weeks i am finally at ease to get my life back to where it needs to be
Seeds have been germinated to mark this day
So now the points i want to stress out. When caught in a situation where pleading not guilty is not a option, my case, be the more co-operative that you can. Don´t say anything that you haven´t rehearsed before that happened NEVER involve your family or friends in your statement.
Always fill for legal aid . Choose your own solicitor.
Even if it sounds stupid go to your local drug counseling agency and start a "rehab program"
If you told the plod that you were using for med reasons, and you really should, chase your GP in order to get up to date medical reports.
And before all this and much more important than this DON`T GROW 6FT TALL PLANTS WHEN YOU GOT NEXT DOOR NEIGHBORS
Thanks for all the good vibes and kind words of support in these last weeks
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