Cannabis dealer caught while on suspended sentence sent to prison

A dealer caught with £3,500 of cannabis in her home while serving a suspended jail term for supplying friends has been jailed for two-and-a-half years.

Megan Fielden, 26, was caught with the drugs hidden behind a kickboard in her kitchen in April 2022.

She had previously been spared jail because she is the mother of young children.

Deemster Graeme Cook said people in her position should not expect to avoid being sent to jail for reoffending.

The court heard police had visited Fielden's home in Santon on 5 April last year for another matter and had noticed a strong smell of cannabis.

She was arrested and police initially found a small quantity of cannabis, electronic scales, a large number of snap-bags, and £775 in cash.

A further search uncovered two plastic containers containing £2,434 and £1,094 of cannabis hidden behind a kickboard in the kitchen.

Forensic tests on the containers found two sets of finger prints, once of which was Fielden's.

Messages on her own mobile phone and another she was known to have previously used showed evidence of drug dealing between September 2021 and July 2022.

Messages included drugs sold "on tick" and threats of enforcement for non-payment.

The court was told some of the messages showed she had been involved in the supply of thousands of pounds of the drug as part of a larger operation, and had two people that would "graft" for her to pay off debts to others.

Fielden pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of cannabis and possession of the drug with intent to supply.

The court heard those offences were being committed while she was awaiting sentence for separate offences of cannabis dealing and continued after she had been spared jail in March 2022.

Arguing for another suspended sentence, her defence advocate said she had become involved to fund her own addiction and had continued dealing to pay back debts.

Deemster Cook said Fielden had committed a "blatant" and "flagrant breach" of the previous court order.

Fielden had made a "choice" to continue to offend, despite knowing the potential impact a custodial sentence could have on her children, he said.

Not jailing her would be "sending absolutely the wrong message" that the mothers of young children would not be incarcerated for breaching a suspended sentence, he added.

The deemster activated the previous 18-month sentence, and handed down an additional 12-month jail term for the new offences.

Why not follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and Twitter? You can also send story ideas to [email protected]