Port Erin dealer avoids prison after being caught with £20K of cannabis

33-year-old told police he was dealing to support his family

A Port Erin man who was caught with almost £20,000 worth of cannabis has avoided jail due to his ‘exceptional’ family circumstances.

Lewis Smith, of Edremony, was handed a suspended sentence at Douglas Courthouse after admitting being concerned in the supply of the drug and possessing it with intent to supply.

He also pleaded guilty to possessing it for his own personal use.

Police arrived to search the 33-year-old’s home on 5 July – the court heard Smith asked them: “Do you want me to show you where it is?” before leading them to his cannabis stash.

Officers found almost a kilo of cannabis which Smith was planning to sell, as well as cannabis for personal use which had a street value of £282.

Smith was arrested and in interview told police he’d been supplying the drug to help support his family because he was ‘almost unable to pay the rent’.

He said he’d purchased the large amount ‘on tick’ from an unnamed supplier, for between £10,000 and £11,000, and was selling it via the social media platform Snapchat.

Phone data showed Smith had been involved in the supply of drugs since 2019 with the prosecution telling the court his activity had ‘ramped up’ from October 2022.

Sentencing Smith, who has no previous convictions, Deemster Graeme Cook told him: “Were it not for your family dynamics there is no question you’d be facing an immediate custodial sentence.”

Imposing an 18-month custodial sentence, which will be suspended for two years, Deemster Cook also made Smith the subject of an 18-month Suspended Sentence Supervision Order.