Shannon Bolton, 29, was jailed for six years and 10 months after being caught with cannabis and cocaine laid out on his bed on the Isle of Man.[1] Cairo Benjamin, 22, was sentenced to 29 months in prison for separate drug offences.[1] Shannon Bolton and Cairo Benjamin were sentenced at Douglas Courthouse.[1] Bolton pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine with intent to supply, possession of cannabis with intent to supply, possession of criminal property, common assault and criminal damage.[1] Benjamin admitted being concerned in the supply of cannabis, possession of cannabis with intent to supply, and two counts each of possession of cannabis and possession of criminal property.[1]

Bolton and Benjamin were arrested on 13 November 2019 and both men refused to give police access to their mobile phones.[1] When police arrived at Bolton’s home in Sumark Avenue in Douglas, both men were in the back garden.[1] Benjamin ran into the property and was caught by police on the stairs before cannabis and cocaine with a street value of more than £6,000 were found in sealed bags in the bedroom along with £50 in cash on the bedside table.[1] Both men had small quantities of drugs in their coat pockets when searched, and Benjamin had £410 in cash which he claimed he had saved from his benefit payments.[1] On 2 March 2021 police went to Benjamin’s home in Sumark Croft in Douglas and found him trying to hide cannabis in a kitchen cupboard.[1] A search of the property uncovered more than £1,500 of cannabis inside a black satchel, along with scales, snap bags and other items associated with drug dealing.[1] A further search of the home on 26 May found another £438 of cannabis which he said was for personal use, along with £345 in cash.[1] On 7 August Bolton was arrested again after kicking his girlfriend’s front door and assaulting her in a row over access to his clothes after she asked him to leave her home in Osborne Grove in Douglas.[1]

Sentencing the pair, Deemster Graeme Cook said the men’s refusal to give police access to their mobile phones looked very much like they were trying to hide something.[1] A convicted drug dealer on the Isle of Man has had his sentence cut by five months.[2] The appeal court ruled Deemster Graeme Cook had not taken totality into account when handing down the sentence.[2] A call for the reduced 24-month sentence to be suspended was rejected by the court.[2]