Prison for young dealer who hid stash and £10k cash in woods

Tuesday 07 November 2023

A 20-year-old man with a record of “repeated and serious offending” has been put behind bars for three years for possessing drugs with intent to supply them.

The Royal Court heard that Aaron Charles Dodd had not complied with non-custodial sentences in the past and should be sent to youth detention for his latest offences.

Dodd was 19 when he was last caught in possession of Class A and B drugs in May last year.

He appeared in the Royal Court on Friday to be sentenced for multiple drugs offences – including possession of cannabis with intent to supply it to another, and possession of Class A drugs – as well as for being in possession or control of criminal property, and for failing to give police the passcode to access his mobile phone.

Crown Advocate Lauren Hallam, prosecuting, explained the police had been contacted by a member of the public who found a suspicious package in a hole next to a farm track on 17 May 2022.

It was found to contain 67 grams of cannabis wrapped in plastic. 

Four finger/palm marks were lifted from four separate zip-lock bags in the package. Each of these matched Dodd's fingerprints.

Pictured: The contents of the package found by a member of the public on 17 May 2022.

Then on 26 May 2022, a white package hidden in woodland was found to contain a hunting style knife in a sheath, four ‘Panama’ ecstasy tablets, two small bags of herbal cannabis, several vape vials and over £10,000 of cash.

The package also bore Dodd’s fingerprints.

Police replaced it with a substitute package and filmed Dodd as he came to collect it. 

He was subsequently arrested.

At interview, Dodd at first gave “no comment” answers to all questions, but later admitted the charges of possessing controlled drugs with intent to supply them, possession of drugs, and possessing criminal property.

Dodd has four previous convictions for 18 offences, including the importation of Class A drugs and possession of cannabis.

Crown Advocate Hallam said he had previously failed to comply with non-custodial sentences such as probation orders so declared: “A non-custodial sentence cannot be justified."

She recommended three years in youth detention.

Pictured: The contents of the package hidden in the woodland.

Advocate Chris Baglin, defending, argued for a shorter term.

Speaking of Dodd’s failure with non-custodial sentences, he said: “He has not just dismissed the alternatives out of hand. He has given it close thought.

“He wants to serve his time, he wants to re-enter the community and he wants to get back to work.”

He argued: “He can get himself back on an even keel. It’s a sorry tale, but there is light at the end of the tunnel.”

Bailiff Sir Timothy Le Cocq, presiding, said the Jurats had taken Dodd’s youth and guilty plea into consideration but agreed with the prosecution’s recommended sentence.

The Jurats sitting were Elizabeth Dulake and Michael Berry.