Westbury 19-year-old handed community order for cannabis dealing

Daniel Kibblewhite, 19, was caught after a keen-nosed police officer in Westbury, on Wednesday, August 7, noticed a strong smell of cannabis coming from him.

Tessa Hingston, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court on Friday he told officers 'I only have a bit on me' when they asked about drugs.

She said "When a duffle bag was taken from him and two bags of herbal matter, together with £230 cash, found in it he said 'I'm going to go to prison for this, you'll take my phone and I'll lose all my contacts'.

"'Now I am going to have to double deal tomorrow to pay my debts. Prison won't help me.

"I'll just get more contacts and deal more. I was just sitting there quietly, why did you have to bother me?"

She said his mobile phone was examined and officers found a number of text messages relating to the trade in drugs.

One referred to him delivering a 9oz bar of the drug while others talked of selling an ounce for £200 and £240.

She said the drugs found on him were found to be the powerful skunk variety of the drug and worth about £120.

Kibblewhite, of Castle View, Westbury, pleaded guilty to possessing cannabis with intent to supply.

Nick Wragg, defending, said there was a certain amount of immaturity in what he said to the police when he was arrested.

"He is immensely frightened of the prospect of prison, he has been living with the prospect for some time, as have his family," he said.

"He has been using drugs for some years now, not just cannabis, and he has been selling drugs to fund that habit."

He said he is living at home and being supported by his family but hoped to go to university.

Passing sentence Judge Tim Mousley QC said "You now have the chance to go on to higher education, that is a cause for some optimism for the future."

He imposed a one-year community order with supervision a six month drug rehabilitation requirement and told him to do 150 hours of unpaid work.