Court: Cannabis row ended in arrest

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A MAN accused of threatening a Peterborough teenager with a gun has admitted he was involved in a bitter drugs row with him.

 

Arlten Lewis (20), of Dawes Road, Fulham, London, denies the charge of possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence to Ryan Graham (19) in Huntly Grove, Peterborough on January 9.

 

Lewis told Peterborough Crown Court yesterday that he went to the property with a friend after being unsatisfied with the cannabis he had bought from Mr Graham.

 

He said: “Neither of us had anything that could even be mistaken for a gun.

 

“We went round to the house to buy half an ounce of cannabis from him in the morning. Ryan said his scales weren’t working so we drove to town in my van to get a new set.

 

“It was cool. I gave him £70 for the cannabis and he bought the scales from Choc Box in Queensgate.

 

“We went back to the house so he could weigh up our weed.

 

“I stayed in the van and Ryan came back a couple of minutes later with a bag and put it in my pocket.

 

“We didn’t check it until we left and got to a McDonalds. There was dirt and grass in it but no weed.”

 

Lewis claims they felt insulted and began to drive back to the house to demand a refund. He called Mr Graham on the phone several times but he kept hanging up.

 

He added: “It wasn’t the money - it could have been £35 or £35,000. He had blatantly taken me for an idiot.”

 

The court heard he eventually got through to Marie Salim, Mr Graham’s mother, who said they needed the money but would pay them back in a few days.

 

Lewis said: “We started hurling abuse at each other and I admit that I got very angry and called her every name under the sun, but I never threatened her.

 

“She was saying crazy things like ‘I’m a soldier’, that she would kill my family and get my head blown off by putting a silver bullet in it.

 

“When we got to the house Ryan wouldn’t come out. I never made a gun gesture but I was angry and I was gesturing for him to come out.

 

“My friend told me to leave it because it was only £35 each. As we were going Marie was mocking me by waving goodbye from a window.

 

“That got me really angry - they had just robbed me and now she was insulting me. So I grabbed a brick and threw it through the window.”

 

Lewis said that he fled when he saw the police arrive because he was worried about being charged for criminal damage.

 

He claims the first time he heard about the gun allegations was after he was arrested on February 3 by armed police officer Ryan Carter.

 

Pc Carter said: “We followed him in a taxi on Bourges Boulevard. He did not get out of the taxi so I had to pull him out.”

 

In his defence, Lewis claims he did not get out because the taxi doors were locked.

 

When he was arrested Lewis had a lock knife in his trousers which he said he was carrying because of alleged threats made by Mrs Salim.

 

The jury also heard the 999 call made by Mr Graham where the sound of a brick going through a window could be heard.

 

The trial continues.

 

Author: MATTHEW REVILLE

Date: 5 August 2010

Source: Evening Telegraph

http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news/lo...arrest_1_796484