A former soldier suffering with post traumatic stress disorder “used cannabis simply to try to forget what he saw”.

Darren English served tours of duty in Afghanistan and Iraq with the Welsh Guards before leaving the Army, and he later began self-medicating with cannabis – a use which developed into drug dealing and then into becoming involved with importing the substance following a chance meeting at a party.

Alycia Carpanini, prosecuting, told Swansea Crown Court that in October last year Border Force staff intercepted a parcel which had arrived from California and which was bound for Murray Street in Llanelli. She said in the package was 38g of cannabis along with cannabis vape canisters, and a cannabis “quick dabber”.

Officers subsequently went to the address on the parcel and found the 36-year-old defendant. A search of the house uncovered 420g of cannabis along with a set of scales found in a washing machine. In his subsequent interview English said he bought cannabis in bulk because it was cheaper, and he said his consumption of the drug had increased since he stopped taking his medication. He told officers he had met a man he knew only as “Jay” at a party and had agreed to accept parcels at his house for him in return for £200, though he said he had not actually received any payments.

Darren James English, of Ger-Y-Llan, Llanelli, had previously pleaded guilty to the fraudulent evasion of the prohibition on the importation of goods – namely cannabis – and to the possession of cannabis with intent to supply when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. He has 14 previous convictions for 36 offences “mainly for alcohol-related” matters and dishonesty but also including possession of Class B drugs and drug driving.

an Ibrahim, for English, said the defendant joined the Army at the age of 16 and went on to serve tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan with the Welsh Guards. He said English has previously been medicated for post traumatic stress disorder and “uses cannabis to simply try to forget what he saw, what he went through”. The barrister said the father-of-two – who last year earned a degree in Music Technology from University of Wales Trinity St David – had been held on remand since March 8 this year and it was clear from a reference from a prison officer at HMP Swansea that he “has not wasted one day” of his time, and that he has been assisting other inmates with their reading and writing skills. Mr Ibrahim said his client realised his involvement with Jay had been “stupid”.

Recorder Duncan Bould said it appeared English had made an agreement with a man not known to the courts to send quantities of cannabis to his house in Llanelli in return for payments, and he said the defendant had “come within a hair’s breadth” of facing a conspiracy charge. He said he accepted the defendant had been supplying cannabis to a circle of friends who were all existing users of the drug.

The recorder said it was clear English was an “intelligent and talented” father-of-two whose behaviour on remand had been “exemplary” and who “does not have a criminogenic attitude generally”, and he said for all those reasons he was of the view that he could pass a sentence which did not extend his time in custody. With discounts for his guilty pleas English was sentenced to a total of eight months in prison – defendants usually serve up to half their sentences in custody before being released on licence but given the time the defendant has served on remand the judge said he anticipated the defendant would be released straight away.

Source: Walesonline

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