Report of burglary at building site revealed drug dealing

David Montgomery Dyson admitted supplying LSD and herbal cannabis to others and handling stolen goods.

The case began in April 2020 but was halted when the 28-year-old failed to surrender to police custody in December that year. After spending time in a UK prison he was arrested in September last year when he returned to the island voluntarily.

Prosecuting Advocate Jenny McVeigh told the court that in April 2020, the owners of a property that was being renovated reported that tools and building materials had been stolen from it. The site had been secure and entry had been forced.

Forensic analysis led to Dyson being arrested. Under caution, he said he had gone to the site with someone else and said he had questioned it when they began to take things. When an outbuilding at Dyson’s then home at Les Banques was searched some of the items reported missing from the burglary were found, including an orbital sander, a router, a hammer drill, and three pots of masonry paint which had a total value of £450.

When a mobile phone belonging to Dyson was seized, messages recovered from it were indicative that he had been involved in the supply of the class A drug, LSD, and the class B substance cannabis.

He had supplied 10 LSD tablets to a contact for £15 each.

The contact said he would sell them on for £20 each.

Dyson offered another 10 tablets for sale, telling a contact they would be ‘ideal for lockdown.’

He sold another person six grams of cannabis for a total price of £150.

In his first interview, when asked about the burglary, Dyson denied all knowledge, despite what he had said at the time of his arrest.

In a second interview he said he used cannabis to relieve back pain. In a third one, he said he found the goods that were taken during the burglary, and later found at his home, in a skip.

All of the items found at his home were returned to the rightful owner, but some of the goods taken were never recovered.

Dyson had other matters for arson and theft in the UK and the island on his record, and had served custodial sentences.

Defending, Advocate Samuel Steel said his client had returned to Guernsey to face the music as soon as he had completed his UK sentence.

The drugs he had supplied had been at a social level and he did not have an extravagant lifestyle. He recognised from his own experience the devastating affects that drugs could have on people’s lives. This was the first drug matter on his record.

He said that Dyson wanted to build a positive future. He knew that a prison sentence was inevitable and he intended to start a new life in Alderney when he had served his time.

Judge Catherine Fooks said the defendant was assessed as a reoffending risk and immediate custody would mark the seriousness of these offences.

Dyson had been frank with probation officers about his drug problem and had shown remorse for his crimes. He had skipped bail because he had not felt ready to go to prison at the time.

‘You say you want to make meaningful changes in your life,’ said Judge Fooks. ‘That will be up to you.’

Dyson was jailed for 52 months for supplying LSD.

The others matters were sentenced concurrently. They were 20 months for supplying cannabis, nine months for handling stolen goods, and three months for the bail breach, which he also admitted.

Forfeiture and destruction of the phone was ordered.