A pair of drug dealers were caught selling cannabis in order to supplement their income.
Pizza takeaway worker Martins Spaks, 26, and Andrew Darling, 29, were in league to sell hundreds of grammes of the class B drug in October 2020.
On October 23 of that year, police found 273g of cannabis but it wasn’t until 16 months later that the pair appeared before the magistrates in Oxford to answer charges of possession with intent to supply class B drugs.
Representing the men at their sentencing hearing at Oxford Crown Court on Monday, Kellie Enever questioned why there had been such an inordinate delay in charging the men given a police drugs expert had submitted his report in April 2021.
Both men had used cannabis themselves and saw an opportunity to make some extra money on the side.
The lives of both defendants had moved on since they were stopped.
Spaks, who worked 72 hours a week across two jobs, had a baby on the way with his partner, who did not currently work. He had no previous convictions and a reference from his boss at the pizza takeaway where he worked spoke of him in glowing terms.
Darling was more heavily convicted, with a 2014 conviction for dealing class A and B drugs. He struggled with ADHD and other mental health difficulties.
Judge Nigel Daly sentenced Darling, of Norris Close, Abingdon, to 10 months’ imprisonment suspended for two years with 200 hours of unpaid work and up to 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days.
He told Darling: “In your teens and into your early 20s you committed offences of violence; you were also involved in drugs.
“However, I note more recently and particularly from the contents of the pre-sentence report that your behaviour has been improving despite the difficulties that you have.
“Particularly, since the commission of these offences you have committed no further offences and I take all that into account.
“You are now 29 years of age. You are no longer a teenager. You are no longer in your early 20s and I hope that the signs of improvement in your behaviour will be able to continue.”
Spaks, of Gillians Way, Oxford, received an 18 month community order with 150 hours of unpaid work and up to 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days.
Both men pleaded guilty to supplying class B drugs. Darling admitted possession of £2,721 in cash from his illegal side line, found in a house in Chandlers Close, Abingdon, in October 2020.
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