A man who said he used cannabis to relieve his rheumatoid arthritis after police found quantities of the drug at his home will be released from jail immediately after a decision by top judges today. Terrance Michael Hickey, 52, of Shanklin Gardens, South Oxhey, admitted possessing cannabis with intent to supply at St Albans Crown Court in November last year. He was sentenced to 15 months jail - a term his lawyers argued at London's Criminal Appeal Court was too long in the light of what his partner, Amanda Andrews, received for the same offence. [continues 242 words]
A number of visitors were caught trying to smuggle drugs into the Mount Prison at Bovingdon and on six occasions drugs were thrown over the perimeter fence during the festivie period, it has energed. Spokesman for the category C prison in Molyneaux Avenue, David Robinson, said: "It is no big secret that there is a big problem with drugs in jail, so every prison is a target. "Abuse of drugs by the prisoners causes a lot of problems for them personally and the prison, and is something that we are guarding against all the time. [continues 182 words]
Taxpayers in Watford are paying a staggering UKP10 million a year to deal with the effects of substance abuse and drug related crime, police estimate. The figures, based on national averages, show policing drugs abusers and supporting addicts costs every taxpayer in the country UKP58 a year. That means in Watford - a town with a population of about 80,000 people - residents spend more than UKP4.5m a year on treating drug users and alcoholics, and it costs them an estimated further UKP5.6m on drug related crime. [continues 124 words]
