Former Port Adelaide Footballer Loses Jail appeal

[Oz]

FORMER Port Adelaide footballer David Granger today lost an appeal against his conviction and four-year jail sentence for growing cannabis for sale.

 

Last year, Granger was found guilty of knowingly having cannabis in his possession for the purpose of selling it.

 

He had earlier pleaded guilty to a further charge of knowingly producing cannabis.

 

Granger, who was six months into a three-year good behaviour bond for an earlier cannabis offence when he was found guilty, was sentenced to four years and three months imprisonment, with a non-parole period of two years.

 

Three judges in the South Australian Court of Criminal Appeal today dismissed Granger's appeal, with Chief Justice John Doyle noting the sentence and non-period period had been lenient.

 

"The judge did not overlook any relevant matter," Chief Justice Doyle said.

 

"If anything, the fact that Mr Granger offended as soon as he did, and despite the support of his friends, suggests that considerations of deterrence outweighed mitigating circumstances personal to Mr Granger.

 

"For what it is worth, I add that there were no convincing signs of rehabilitation at the time when the later offences were committed."

 

Granger, one of the most controversial footballers in SA in the late 1970s and early 1980s, has three previous convictions for cannabis offences in 2002, 1998 and 1991.

 

During last year's District Court trial, he said he grew the cannabis for his own use as pain relief.

 

Chief Justice Doyle today said 17kg of cannabis had been found by police in Granger's home, with a value of between $11,000 and $35,000, depending on how it was sold.

 

"Mr Granger's evidence did not satisfy the (trial) judge that he did not have possession of the cannabis for the purpose of sale," Chief Justice Doyle said.

 

Fellow judges Justice John Perry and Justice Ted Mullighan agreed the appeals should be dismissed.

 

Author: Lauren Ahwan

Date: 08/06/04

Source: AAP

Copyright: 2004 News Limited.