A dealer in Gwynedd brandished a shovel after provocation. He received suspended jail time for drug dealing.
Joshua Gilmore, 25, faced a group in the road and grabbed the shovel during this incident in Caernarfon. He admitted affray and dealing cannabis.
The court sentenced him today, giving him a suspended jail term of 21 months for the drug offense, with no extra penalty for the affray.
The prosecutor explained that neighbors heard shouting on William Street around 7:30 pm on August 31, 2023. A witness saw a man throw a bin at the car. Gilmore then went outside wielding a garden shovel, and a group of people ran away quickly.
The prosecutor said the group acted “provoking,” adding, “It was by no means one sided.” Police responded and arrested Gilmore after a short chase.
Officers visited Gilmore on April 20, 2023, and checked his phone, which revealed cannabis dealing.
Speaking at the hearing, the defense lawyer, Simon Killeen, said Gilmore had huge drug debts and owned “no jewellery, no car, no assets and no money”.
The judge noted the group provoked Gilmore regarding the affray charge, but Gilmore armed himself with a shovel instead of leaving the tense scene.
The judge noted Gilmore sold cannabis from March 15 to April 20, 2023, but had changed his life. A report said he no longer used drugs or alcohol.
The judge suspended his term for dealing drugs because jailing Gilmore would emotionally harm his kids. She also made Gilmore attend 25 days of rehab.
He must pay £500 toward court costs, and the court took his mobile phone. They gave no extra penalty for affray, as the drugs sentence covered this.