Judge calls for better crime sentencing education after young Waterlooville and Southsea drug dealers in court facing long jail terms

But Owen Hodgkinson and Joshua Jones, both now 20, were spared up to four-and-a-half years in prison after ‘turning their lives around’ in the two years since they were caught by officers going to a party in Waterlooville on March 1, 2020.

The pair, who were travelling in a silver Ford Fiesta just after midnight with friend Albie Harris, 19, were found with Class A drug cocaine and ketamine - a Class B drug.

Harris, sitting in the back of the car, was caught with nitrous oxide which he intended to sell at the party.

Judge Keith Cutler CBE, speaking of his concern at the number of young people appearing at court for serious drug offences, said: ‘I wish schools and colleges would have citizenship lessons that go through the sentencing guidelines.

‘Young people from college are putting themselves in jeopardy of going to prison for a long time.’

Prosecutor Fern Russel told the court the trio of youngsters were tracked by a police car after ‘wheeling back and forwards’ before they were pulled over just after midnight at Wickes car park.

Officers spotted small bags of a ‘crystal substance’ in the car before going to handcuff Jones the driver who then ‘threw an item to the floor’. A number of bags were then seized.

Jones, of Mirabelle Mall, Waterlooville, was found with £350 cash, cocaine with a value of £450 and ketamine with a street value of £90.

Hodgkinson, of Furze Lane, Southsea, had cocaine worth £200, cash of £200 and ketamine valued at £90.

Harris, of Orsmond Close, Waterlooville, was found with a quantity of canisters of nitrous oxide.

Christopher Wing, defending Hodgkinson, said: ‘It was a really unwise and foolish decision to alleviate problems by entering into a short-lived and illegal enterprise to sell Class A drugs.’

But he stressed the defendant was now a changed man nearly two years on. ‘He’s not been in trouble for the last two years and has turned his life around,’ Mr Wing said.

The lawyer added: ‘He is not the same young man that was found in the car. He has no desire to come back before the court. He is terrified at the prospect of what may happen to him today.

‘(The drug dealing) was short-lived mercifully and was nipped in the bud. When people get into this line of work and the cash is flowing in they can get addicted to the cash and the drugs. This has not happened here.’

Andrew Stone, defending Jones, said his client sought the support of the ‘wrong peers’ after his ‘family life broke down’.

He committed the offences when on bail for a robbery but was now described by his employer as someone with a ‘bright future’ and an individual who was ‘pleasant and dedicated’.

Harris was also said to be ‘doing extremely well’ working for a company.

Judge Cutler, preparing to sentence the young men, said the incident was a ‘bad day’ for them which had ended up putting them and their loved ones ‘through hell’ for two years.

He added: ‘I will put you out of your misery…none of you are going to prison.

‘In the two years that have passed each of you have done very well.’

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Hodgkinson and Jones, who both admitted possession with intent to supply cocaine and ketamine, were each handed 16-month jail terms suspended for two years. They were also told to complete 100 hours of unpaid work and 15 rehabilitation days.

Harris, who admitted possessing a psychoactive substance with intent to supply, was given a two-year conditional discharge.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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