Rotherham drug dealer wins sentence cut

A DRUG dealer who was jailed for four-and-a-half years over the supply of almost 90 kilograms of cannabis this week had his prison sentence slashed by judges at the Court of Appeal.John Darrell Millard (31), of Redscope Crescent, Kimberworth Park, wa

A DRUG dealer who was jailed for four-and-a-half years over the supply of almost 90 kilograms of cannabis this week had his prison sentence slashed by judges at the Court of Appeal.

John Darrell Millard (31), of Redscope Crescent, Kimberworth Park, was jailed last May after admitting two counts of supplying the Class C drug at Sheffield Crown Court.

But in a hearing at the Court of Appeal in London on Tuesday, three senior judges slashed his “excessive” prison sentence to three-and-a-half years.

Judge Sir Geoffrey Grigson told the court that the sentence imposed on Millard after an investigation by the Serious and Organised Crime Agency was too long and had to be reduced.

Millard was caught in March 2007 when he was seen by surveillance officers in the act of supplying three boxes, containing 88.7kgs of cannabis, to another drugs criminal.

Although he was not arrested at the time for operational reasons, officers later began a hunt to track him down.

But despite his appearing before courts for other matters in the intervening period, Millard was not caught until January of last year when he was arrested and charged.

His lawyers argued this week that the resulting sentence was excessive when compared to those handed to others charged as part of the same investigation and because such a long delay had taken place between him being linked with the drugs and his eventual arrest.

Giving the judgment, Sir Geoffrey, sitting with Lord Justice Laws and Mr Justice Blake, said that it was “quite extraordinary” that police were unable to find Millard for so long.

He had appeared before Rotherham magistrates, while officers had his parents’ home address and had even spoken to him on his mobile phone, he said.

And as one other offender had received a reduction in his sentence for his efforts to turn his life around, Millard should have received likewise, he continued.

“Equally, the delay has disadvantaged him and this court takes the view that those matters should be recognised in a reduction in sentence,” the judge said.

“The figure we have decided is right is one of three-and-a-half years’ imprisonment on each count, with those sentences to be concurrent.”