On 28 July 2022, our client was charged with offences including knowingly take part in cultivating a large commercial quantity of a prohibited plant, namely cannabis plants.

The offence of cultivating cannabis had a maximum penalty of 20 years imprisonment.

Our client instructed Hanna Legal and we engaged in extensive negotiations with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in relation to the charges. Eventually, we convinced the ODPP to withdraw the charge of knowingly take part in cultivating a large commercial quantity of cannabis plants and to accept pleas of guilty to a less serious charge of deemed supply of an indictable quantity of a prohibited drug.

We also successfully convinced the ODPP to allow our client’s matter to remain in the Local Court instead of moving up to the District Court, which meant no penalty greater than 2 years imprisonment could be imposed.

On Wednesday 26 July 2023, Hanna Legal appeared at the Coffs Harbour Local Court at our client’s sentence hearing where the Magistrate accepted our submissions that a community-based sentencing option was more appropriate. Our client was sentenced to an Intensive Corrections Order (ICO), after hearing our submissions that community safety would be best met by an ICO given our client’s impressive rehabilitative efforts, protective factors including his two children and fiancée, and the mental health treatment regime which was in effect. This outcome meant our client avoided gaol time altogether and could serve his sentence in the community with his family.

For the full article, see: Daily Telegraph, 27 July 2023.

Photo Credit: The Daily Telegraph.