Three Berwick heroin dealers win sentence cuts

Jul 2 2009 by Ben Guy, The Journal

After hearing legal argument at London’s Criminal Appeal Court yesterday, Lord Justice Pill, sitting with Mr Justice Burnett and Judge Julian Hall, ruled all three should have their sentences reduced by a year because they were not given enough credit for owning up to their crimes.

He told the court that all three had numerous previous convictions and that Darling had previously been convicted of 11 drugs-related offences.

Weatherston, the court heard, had mainly been convicted of offences of dishonesty, but also had four convictions for drug offences.

Punton, meanwhile, had never been sentenced to a term of imprisonment before, but had two previous convictions for possessing heroin with intent to supply, among other offences.

Lord Justice Pill said the police officers’ work on the operation was “very dangerous”, exposing them to the risk of having their cover blown.