Chesterfield man who sold cannabis to friends was smoking £70 of the drug per day

Lewis Naylor, aged 20, was spotted by police driving erratically in the town and was pulled over on May 6 this year.

Naylor handed over two wraps containing cannabis and officers also discovered a separate amount of the drug and a set of scales in the boot of his car when they searched it, Chesterfield Magistrates’ Court was told.

The court heard that Naylor, of Greenbank Drive, Loundsley Green, was bulk-buying the drug and selling some of it to friends.

He was also consuming up to £70 worth of the drug each day, the court heard.

Prosecuting, Becky Allsop said: “Police saw a vehicle and it was stopped due to the way it was being driven. Two wraps of foil were recovered containing cannabis, and cannabis and a set of scales were found in the boot.In police interview he said that the cannabis was for personal use but he accepts that he sold a small amount to friends.”

Mitigating, Serena Simpson, said Naylor had been mixing with the ‘wrong crowd’ at the time of his arrest, who were encouraging him to take drugs, but he had now moved away from this circle.

He had also been living with a grandparent but has now returned to live with his parents who had helped him to get off drugs. She said that, apart from one blip a month ago, he had been drugs free since the time of his arrest.

Naylor was also briefly suspended from his job when his arrest came to light, but was allowed to return on the condition that he agreed to regular drugs testing.

She said: “He admits that he’s made the biggest mistake of his life and he regrets his actions very much. At the time of this offence he was a heavy cannabis user himself and was using between £50 and £70 of cannabis per day.

“His friendship group at the time were very encouraging of this behaviour. He was getting up in the morning, having a shower and then spending the rest of the day smoking cannabis. He never sold the drug outside of his group of friends.

“After his arrest he was quite nervous about how serious things had got. He hasn’t used any controlled substance for the past month, and he’s turned his life around.”

“He now has a girlfriend and the money he used to spend on drugs he now spends on his girlfriend instead.”

Naylor, who had no previous convictions, admitted supplying a controlled drug and possession with intent to supply when he appeared before the court.

He was given a 12-month community order to include 180 of unpaid work. He was also ordered to pay £85 costs and an £85 government surcharge. Magistrates also ordered that the drugs and the scales be destroyed.