The Appellant was one of a large number of defendants in a major drug operation who was convicted, following trial, of conspiracy to supply class A drugs. He sought to appeal his sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment. Nicholas was instructed by the prosecution to oppose the appeal.
The contested appeal was heard before Lord Justice William Davis, Mr. Justice Jacobs and the Recorder of Newcastle, His Honour Judge Sloan KC. A ground of appeal of interest was that the sentencing Judge had failed to give sufficient consideration to the Appellant’s health issues when determining the term of imprisonment to be imposed. The Court of Appeal concluded otherwise, and held that ‘health problems are not a passport to a lower sentence’.