Court Sentence: 7th April 2005
The legal case against Karen and I has finally been concluded.

The Judge, having seen all the evidence, and various pleadings, came to the conclusion that there was nothing outstanding enough in the circumstances of the offence for him to suspend our sentence. He pointed out to us that drug dealers are wicked people, who go to prison for a lot of years. He also pointed out that people who help drug dealers go to prison, even if they are vulnerable people whom the drug dealers have used. This is because deterrance is the only way that society can influence them not to help.

Having convinced us that we were going to prison, he then said that our mitigation was outstanding and unusual; he could see the way we had been used, the opportunities we had in front of us now, and the fact that imprisonment would be the destruction of us.

He therefore made a 24 month community rehabilitation order (what used to be called probation), and directed that we should attend appropriate courses so that we could learn not to be used in future.

All in all, I think that we were bloody lucky to get such a light sentence.

Many thanks to Mike, Bryan and team at TMK, Natalie and Michelle at ABC, and to our baristers for all their sterling work.