Cannabis user in trouble with court – and his wife

A Frome man who appeared in court facing a drugs charge was also in trouble with his wife when she discovered he had used their wedding money to pay for them.

When police searched Christopher Julian Wheeler's home they found a quantity of cannabis stashed in a box and a quantity of cash in a snooker cue container in his bedroom.

When he was arrested he confessed the drugs were his and said he had used the money given to them by guests at the wedding the previous month.

Wheeler, aged 22, of Marleys Way, Frome, pleaded guilty to being in possession of 114g of cannabis on November 10 when he appeared before South Somerset and Mendip Magistrates.

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Prosecutor Gordon Richings said that police executed a drugs warrant at the defendant's home address while his wife was there.

"A quantity of cannabis flowering head was found in a box hidden in the loft along with some clear plastic bags," he said.

"In his bedroom was a snooker cue box containing £350 and during interview Wheeler said it was all for his own personal use and had bought a large amount to save money.

"He said he had used his wedding money to buy it as he had been given a lot of cash by guests to buy some gifts.

"He said he put it in the loft to hide it from his wife but denied selling drugs saying the £350 in cash was savings to buy a pushchair."

Defending solicitor Jeffrey Bannister said Wheeler co-operated with the police and said he had saved £400 by buying the cannabis in bulk.

"However, he is not only in trouble with the law, but his wife as well, as the money was wedding gifts and he used that to buy the drugs.

"He has been smoking cannabis for a long time and his arrest was a wake-up call as all his wedding money has gone. He has now stopped using cannabis altogether and his wife is expecting their baby in February."

Wheeler was sentenced to a 12-month community order with a requirement to carry out 60 hours unpaid work.

He was also ordered to pay a £60 victim surcharge but no costs were imposed.

The magistrates ordered the cannabis to be destroyed.