Blaise Morris achieves suspended sentence following difficult and detailed mitigation

Blaise Morris represented AJ at sentence after he entered guilty pleas to two counts of Possession with Intent to Supply Class A Drugs two months before his trial with different counsel. 

The Crown submitted AJ held a ‘significant role’ within their opening note with a starting point of 4.5 years’ custody. On the morning of sentence, it became apparent a basis of plea was required which was drafted and not disputed by the Crown. The Judge accepted, by virtue of the basis of plea, that this reduced AJ’s culpability from ‘significant role’ to ‘lesser role’. The starting point taken was therefore three years, not 4.5 years’ custody.

Following lengthy submissions and mitigation, the Judge made a further downward adjustment to 20 months custody on each count and found the sentence was capable of suspension for a period of 18 months (concurrent).

Blaise Morris was instructed by Mian and Co.