A JUDGE has come up with an unusual but, hopefully, highly effective way of putting a drugs runner off crime.
Judge Jonathan Rose yesterday gave the 15-year-old the chance to avoid a custodial sentence – but he must spend a day watching others caught in a major police operation being sentenced.
The aim is to deter him from committing any more offences and let’s hope it works.
For one of those caught up in Operation Greystoke had not learned from past crimes and is now starting a jail term of more than four years.
Lee Joyce was caught in the operation to arrest suspected street dealers and supplied drugs to undercover officers no less than eight times.
He was on bail for other drugs offences, had previous convictions for dealing in cocaine and cannabis and was dealing near to two junior schools when he was caught.
Now it’s payback time to society which means the 22-year-old father-of-one is behind bars. He had his chances and blew them.
Let’s hope those tempted to follow in his footsteps will now have the sense to think again.Their luck will run out eventually and they will be caught.
People are fed up with drug-dealing and, if the police don’t catch them red-handed, someone may just tip them off via Crimestoppers.
