A court custody officer who was caught with cannabis in a backpack at Douglas Courthouse has been sentenced.[1] Dylan Whittaker, 25, of Douglas, had pleaded guilty to introducing cannabis into an institution and to possessing the class B drug.[2] Deemster Graeme Cook sentenced him at the Court of General Gaol Delivery on Friday and said he was fortunate not to have been facing further charges.[2] Cook handed down an eight-month sentence, suspended for 12 months, with 12 months’ supervision, and said he was taking a fairly lenient view.[2]

In his role Whittaker had been responsible for transporting people between the courthouse, Police Headquarters in Douglas, and the Isle of Man Prison in Jurby.[1] He worked for the security company Bidvest Noonan and was reported by a colleague after he was seen whispering with a former prisoner on 22 July.[1] On 22 July a colleague grew suspicious after seeing him whispering with a former prisoner outside the courthouse, before he was handed a drink suspected to contain prescription drugs.[1] When he was asked what was in the bottle he did not respond, and concerns were raised with the firm’s management, who called the police.[1] Colleagues had raised those concerns in July the previous year about his interaction with prison detainees outside work.[2] When officers arrived at the custody suite in the courthouse on 23 July, Whittaker was in the kitchen.[2] He was asked if he had anything on him and replied that it was not on him but in his bag.[2] Two wraps of the drug were found, weighing five grams and 0.6 grams, valued at £100 and £12.[2] The police search also found a clear bag containing two wraps of herbal cannabis and an empty grinder.[1] He was arrested the following day after police found £112 worth of the drug in his bag during a search of the custody suite.[1]

When interviewed he handed in a prepared statement saying the drug was for his own personal use.[2] The court heard he had no previous convictions and had entered guilty pleas at an early opportunity.[2] Whittaker pleaded guilty to bringing prohibited articles into an institution and possession of cannabis.[1] Deemster Graeme Cook said Whittaker was very fortunate to be facing those charges, and that the sentence was based on those charges and not on what could be inferred from the surrounding circumstances.[1] An earlier hearing had heard that a note with two people’s writing on it had been seized, but no further action was taken over it.[2]