Student drug dealer spared jail after impressing Judge with grammar

A pair of student drug dealers have been spared jail after a judge was impressed by the ‘spelling and grammar’ of the texts they sent advertising their product.

Luke Rance, 19, and Brandon Kerrison, 21, were arrested outside a Swansea library when they were found in possession of the Class B drug.

A court heard police examined their mobile phones to find text messages relating to their drug deals composed using perfect spelling and punctuation.

Judge David Hale said the ‘grammar and punctuation’ in the messages was of a much higher standard than normally seen from dealers and indicated a higher level of education.
Swansea Crown Court heard one message from Kerrison’s phone said: ‘Mad flavours from 10 tonight – let me know for more details’.
The court heard Kerrison was studying a course in construction at Llansamlet construction college in Swansea.

While performing arts-lover Rance was due to start a degree later this year having studied at Gower College Swansea.
Judge Hale said he did not want to ‘fetter the prospects’ of either man by sending them to jail.

Instead Kerrison and Rance were handed community orders with 100 hours of unpaid work.
Kerrison, of Southgate, Swansea, admitted possession of cannabis with intent to supply and being concerned in the supply of cannabis.

Rance, also of Southgate, admitted possession of cannabis with intent and possession of cocaine
Judge Hale told the pair – dressed in dark ties and jackets – that at first ‘cannabis may be an experiment that you find pleasurable’ but its use can have serious consequences.
He said courts all too often see lives that have been ‘desperately affected’ by the use of strong cannabis.

The judge said the delay in bringing the case to court ‘does not do the system much credit’ – and had meant a long period of stress and worry for their families.

However he said the delay may have worked to the benefit of the pair as it meant they were able to demonstrate they had got their lives back on track and had stayed out of trouble.

He said Rance seemed have got involved with ‘ne’er-do-wells in Liverpool’ by his cannabis-buying activities while Kerrison had set himself up as dealer for people in the local community.

Judge Hale told them: ‘I hope a court never sees either of you again.’
Judge Hale previously afforded a woman convicted on having sex with a 13-year-old boy a lenient sentence too.

Jordon Lightfoot, 21, was found guilty of having sexual activity with the schoolboy, and also sexual activity by touching with a boy of 15 and causing or inciting the elder boy to engage in sexual activity in July 2018.
After considering a pre-sentence report Judge Hale imposed an 18 month jail sentence, suspended for two years, with 50 days of rehabilitation activity.

After letting her off Judge Hale added: ‘No teenage lads around for parties or anything like that.’

While a man who sent videos of himself in sexual poses and masturbating to paedophile hunters believing he was speaking to a 13 year-old girl also escaped jail in Judge Hale’s courtroom.
Danny John Byrne, 23, of Wrexham was found guilty on June 1 last year of ten offences, including three charges of making indecent photographs and five of attempting to cause a child to engage in sexual activity.
Sentencing Byrne to 12 months imprisonment, suspended for two years, Judge Hale said: ‘You have no business talking to a 13 year-old girl, someone you thought was a 13 year-old girl.

‘You have no business looking at porn – people having sex with animals. You must be quite afraid of going to prison.
‘Are you afraid of it? You should be – you would have a very hard time in there.
‘I am suspending sentence today but you have it in mind that if you do anything like this again you will go to prison. You must never do anything like this again.’

Daily Mail