Deputy Andy Cameron criticised the sentences given to Matthew Stewart Lovell, 49, and Richard Michael Le Cras, 47, in the Royal Court.
Lovell was jailed for 20 years and six months, and Le Cras for 13 years and seven months, after they admitted being jointly concerned in the supply of MDMA, ketamine, cannabis resin and cannabis found at a St Andrew’s vinery. Lovell also admitted laundering £477,775.
In a Facebook post, Deputy Cameron said the offences were serious and there had to be consequences.
‘But these were non-violent crimes, and sentences of this length feel wildly excessive,’ he said.
He said the men’s families had ‘effectively been handed a sentence too’.
Deputy Cameron estimated that serving both sentences in full at Les Nicolles Prison would cost about £2.6m. in today’s money. He said that was equivalent to funding two primary schools for a year.
He argued that the chance of being caught was a far stronger deterrent than ever-longer sentences and cited the UK’s 2025 Independent Sentencing Review, which reported that operational organisations considered long sentences for drug trafficking ineffective as deterrents.
He also said the relative harm of the drugs involved should count when deciding what punishment is proportionate.
‘Justice should punish wrongdoing and protect our community. But it should also leave room for rehabilitation and recognise the wider harm caused by taking someone away for decades,’ he said.
Deputy Cameron said Home Affairs president Marc Leadbeater had assured him that reviewing the island’s sentencing guidelines was an absolute priority for his committee this term.
Deputy Leadbeater said: ‘Whilst it would be inappropriate for me to comment on individual cases, I can confirm that work has already begun on the sentencing review.
‘An initial scoping exercise has been completed, and we are moving to the next stage. Dialogue has been initiated with the Judiciary, and I will provide a fuller update once more information becomes available.’
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