Hashish supplied to constable

Press, 14 April 1978, Page 7

Hashish supplied to constable

A young man who was a; heroin addict at the age of! 16, and who had accumu-' lated assets greater than could be expected from his work record, was jailed by Mr Justice Roper in the Supreme Court yesterday for nine months on two drug charges.

Geoffrey Gerard Cox, aged] 22, who was described as al .part-time gardener, pleaded' guilty on arraignment to! two charges of supplying! hashish oil and tea to an I undercover constable on] October 15 and 19. Mr D. J. Cassells, for Cox,! said that the prisoner hadi been reluctant to supply the' drug to the constable and had only done so after being pestered. There was no profit for him in the transaction, which had been merely the supply of the drug to a friend. That removed the offence from the more sinister category of drug pushing.

His Honour: Cox told the undercover constable that he could get him as much hashish oil as he wanted. Mr Cassells:. Cox does not remember making that remark.

His Honour: How is it that a person with his work record and age has been able to accumulate assets of almost $8000?

At this stage, the case was stood down to enable Mr Cassells to make inquiries from Cox about the source of his assets. When the case was called again, Mr Cassells said that Ithe probation officer had misunderstood replies Cox had given to his questions. His station waggon had been built up from a wreck; his savings were only $9OO, not $1500; and it appeared that (his assets were only half the

$BOOO listed in the probation officer’s report.

Since his release from ' Borstal training, Cox had worked hard. There was : nothing sinister about his 1 accumulation of assets. After ' becoming a heroin addict at the age of 16, he had abandoned his association with hard drugs. He was not a ' [professional drug dealer, and his boast about being able to] obtain drugs was just an act “to make a big man of him-; self,” Mr Cassells said. His Honour said that the] total value of the narcotic] involved, hashish oil, which I (was in the more serious] (class B category, was about; :$152. He had to bear in; mind that the legislature regarded offences involving hashish more seriously than those involving cannibis plant material. “Your counsel said that you entered into these transactions with reluctance and in effect they were non-pro-fit transactions, and that you acted through charitable; motives,” his Honour told; Cox. "Frankly’, I find that! difficult to believe, having regard to the discussions you had with the constable. On one occasion you told him that you could obtain all the hashish oil he wanted and on another you discussed the growing of cannabis from which you told him you could obtain $6O for each plant.” Since 1972, Cox had appeared before the Court on numerous occasions. Three [of his convictions were on drug charges, although admittedly they were of a minor nature.

“But you must have realised the danger you were in by dealing in this way, and I fear you must now pay the price,” said his Honour.