Student spared jail by impressing judge with their good 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,19, and Brandon, 21, were arrested outside a 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 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.

The Court heard one message from Brandon’s phone said:

 

‘MAD FLAVOURS FROM 10 TONIGHT – LET ME KNOW FOR MORE DETAILS’.

Judge said he did not want to ‘fetter the prospects’ of either man by sending them to jail.

Instead Brandon and Rance were handed community orders with 100 hours of unpaid work.

Had Judge Hale wanted to impose a harsher punishment, sentencing guidelines indicate the pair could have been imprisoned for up to 26 weeks.

The two admitted possession of cannabis with intent to supply and being concerned in the supply of cannabis.

When police stopped the pair and read the text messages they found them to be written with correct punctuation and spelling, in contrast to the typical messages sent by dealers in the area using poor spelling, punctuation and grammar

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.’