Cannabis Find Puts Elderly Pair On Trial

[Oz]

The District Court jury could be forgiven for wondering why such a sweet-looking old couple were seated in the dock.

 

Unpaid parking fines or failing to return a library book perhaps. In fact, probably just about anything apart from drug dealing.

 

David William Sidney Davies, 81, and his wife Florence Gladys Davies, 77, are each accused of two counts of possessing cannabis with intent to sell or supply.

 

Rugged up against the cold, the elderly pensioners sat shoulder to shoulder in the courtroom as prosecutor Paul Dixon outlined the State's case against them.

 

Hard-of-hearing, Mr Davies leant forward intently as Mr Dixon told the court how police found 18.7kg of cannabis concealed above a false ceiling inside their Carlisle home during a raid in August 2002.

 

Mr Dixon said a police sniffer dog also found more than 300g of cannabis inside an ice-cream container under the couple's bed.

 

He said Mr Davies showed police $7000 in cash stashed under the seat of his car which the couple claimed to have saved from their pensions for an overseas holiday.

 

Mr Dixon said Mr Davies also told them he built the false ceiling to insulate the fibro house but was unaware any drugs had been stored in the roof.

 

Mrs Davies originally denied knowing there were drugs in the house but later admitted she smoked the cannabis found under their bed to relieve her back pain.

 

"That's mine for my own personal use, for my back," she was heard telling police on a videotape of the raid.

 

But Mr Dixon said the drugs found in their bedroom matched the cannabis in the roof.

 

"The sheer quantity of cannabis in the house, the only inference that can be drawn is the accused must have known the drugs were there," Mr Dixon said.

 

He said the couple's son had paid his parents to stash the drugs for him in their house.

 

The jury heard Tyssoll Davies, 52, pleaded guilty to similar charges arising from the same incident in October 2002.

 

The jury was told Mr Davies sen. collapsed when he was arrested and taken into police custody after the raid.

 

The trial continues.

 

By Anne Calverley

Date: 01/06/04

Source: The West Australian

Copyright: 2004 West Australian Newspapers

[Guest]

Thats bloody disgraceful. Where is the world coming to when an elderly couple get frightened to the point of being hospitalised, have their holiday savings stolen by police and then get dragged through the courts over some harmless fucking herb. We aren't evolving as a species at all. Certainly not by any measure of our moral or ethical standards. Instead we are going backwards.

 

Its bad enough that the young have no respect for the frail and elderly or even that viscious criminals prey on them. For our fascist cops to harass our senior citizens too is simply above and beyond all conscience. I'm sickened. Pray for the day when reforms finally sweep away this backward legislation.

 

Marijuana prohibition is just too ridiculous to make any sense out of. Its like outlawing short skirts, bubblegum or religion. According to school history books we are supposed to be wiser than our poor ignorant forebears . Thats obviously nonsense. They were smart enough to know Ganja is a good thing. Our children will probably look back on this time and laugh at the sheer stupidity of our law makers. When will politicians finally grow balls and fight this crap?

Edited June 1, 2004 by Chong

[calyx]

RIGHT ON CHONG!!!

- CALYX.

[Tom]

A little more information.

 

Elderly couple on trial for cannabis possession

Tuesday, 1 June 2004

 

The Perth District Court has heard that cannabis seized from an elderly couple's home in 2002 had a street value of $264,000.

 

David Davies, 81, and his 77-year-old wife Gladys are on trial after police found 19 kilograms of cannabis hidden in roof cavities and under a bed at the couple's home in Carlisle.

 

They also found $7,000 in cash hidden in the couple's car, but did not find any smoking implements or smell smoke residue.

 

The court has heard the couple's son Tyssul Davies was convicted and jailed in 2002 over part of the drug haul.

 

Mr and Mrs Davies are each charged with two counts of possessing cannabis with intent to sell or supply.

 

The trial continues.

 

ABC

 

[greenacres]

Tyssul Davies if it is his stash, and it sounds like it is, needs to be beaten to a pulp for letting his parents take the hit.

 

[/quoteIts bad enough that the young have no respect for the frail and elderly or even that viscious criminals prey on them. For our fascist cops to harass our senior citizens too is simply above and beyond all conscience. I'm sickened. Pray for the day when reforms finally sweep away this backward legislation.

]

i agree except this poor excuse for an arsehole is 53 fer fucks sake hes not young.the blue backs will hassle you however old you are.

[boomstix]

surely they won't send an elderly couple to jail??

that would be a public relations nightmare

*picture it*

convicted drug dealers, seen here needing walking frames to leave the courthouse....

 

is there anywhere that we can find info on the sentences handed to pot smokers/growers?

i see a lotta bust photos, i wanna see some people walking free with a bond or whatever.

 

anyone who's been busted, how about a thread telling us what happened and what sentence?

[Tom]

is there anywhere that we can find info on the sentences handed to pot smokers/growers?

i see a lotta bust photos, i wanna see some people walking free with a bond or whatever.

Try the law courts web page for your state.

 

[Tom]

An update, looks like the media is really interested in this one.

 

Elderly man denies having proceeds of drug sales

Wednesday, 2 June 2004

 

An 81-year-old man on trial in the Perth District Court has denied that $7,000 found in his car came from the sale of drugs.

 

David Davies and his 77-year-old wife Florence are on trial charged with possessing cannabis with intent to sell or supply.

 

The court was told police found 19 kilograms of cannabis hidden in ceiling cavities and under a bed at the couple's home in 2002.

 

In his evidence, Mr Davies told the court the $7,000 police found was money saved from pension payments.

 

He said this was possible because his wife is "one of the greatest shoppers in Australia".

 

He said the money was to be spent on an overseas holiday.

 

The court has already heard the couple's 52-year-old son was convicted and jailed over part of the drug haul in 2002.

 

The trial continues.

 

ABC

 

[LoveMeBucket]

just saw on the news that the son (Tysull davies) has admited it was his in court... when prosecutors asked the father if the $7000 was paid to him by his son to keep the drugs there he said "dont be stupid"

 

the mum also admitted she lied to try and protect her son.. they aint no stoners..

[Tom]

He's already inside and may be lying to protect his parents, although I must admit that it's more likely mum and dad keeping his business afloat for him while he's away on holiday.