Conspiracy to supply class A Drugs sentencing UK

Being caught by the police with drugs or drug paraphernalia can be a terrifying process to have to go through. While you might think that it’ll be a straightforward matter, drug cases can often end up being highly complex, and can take a long time to be sorted out.

The complex nature of conspiracy drug cases can make their outcome difficult to predict, but it does mean that with the right legal support, you can dramatically improve your chances of achieving a favourable ruling. 

If you face a charge of conspiracy to supply drugs, it’s imperative that you seek professional legal assistance at the earliest opportunity available, so that you can spend as much time as possible developing your legal defence.

 

What are class A Drugs?

Many of us will have heard the term thrown around, but what actually are class A Drugs? In the UK, drugs are divided into a number of different categories. There are classes A, B, and C, with class A drugs being considered the most serious, and class C drugs being considered the least.

class A drugs include cocaine, ecstasy, heroin, LSD, magic mushrooms and crystal meth. They’re typically considered to be the most dangerous drugs, both to the user themself and in terms of their negative impact on society at large. class B drugs include cannabis and ketamine, while class C drugs include anabolic steroids and GHB.

 

Conspiracy to supply

While being charged with possession is relatively straightforward – you either have the drugs on you or you don’t – drug conspiracy charges are a lot more complicated. It’s important to realise that you don’t have to be caught with drugs in your possession, in fact, you never need to have had personal contact with the drugs themselves in order to be charged and convicted.

In the eyes of the law, a criminal conspiracy is where two or more individuals plan to do something that is illegal. This means that you won’t be the only person involved in a conspiracy case. When it comes to conspiracy to supply class-A Drugs, you can be charged for playing a wide range of roles in the more general planning process, whether that’s covering the tracks of someone else or acting as a middleman.

It’s also important to note that just the planning process itself can be considered a criminal offence. For example, if you were caught in a location waiting for a drug shipment to arrive, if the police could prove that was why you were there, you could be charged even if no one in the conspiracy had actually seen or touched the drugs.

These legal nuances make it incredibly important that your criminal defence solicitor has extensive experience dealing with these kinds of cases, so that they can recognise potential defence strategies that a less experienced lawyer might miss.

 

Sentencing

Sentencing for conspiracy to supply class A drugs can vary massively, depending on multiple factors. These include the significance of your role in the overall process, the amount of drugs that were found or otherwise involved, and the amount of harm associated with the case, among others.

If your role was relatively limited, and the size of the conspiracy was also limited, then it’s possible that your case will be heard in a Magistrates court. This will result in a maximum prison sentence of 6 months, and an unlimited fine (limited to £5000 for events that occurred before 2015).

If it’s likely that your sentence will exceed these restrictions, then your case will be heard in a Crown Court. Here, it’s possible that you can receive a sentence of up to life imprisonment and an unlimited fine. 

Compared to other offences, it’s perhaps more difficult to predict possible sentences, as a result of how broad conspiracy charges are. That being said, the general offence range is between a high level community order and 16 years’ custody. Your solicitor will be able to look at your specific case, and make a more accurate prediction based on the information that’s available to them.

 

Aggravating factors

There are a number of aggravating factors that may result in you receiving a higher sentence. A few of these include:

• If the case involved any evidence of county lines exploitation
• If the case involved supplying drugs in a prison, school, or other similar premises
• If the drugs are found to be especially high in purity
• If there is evidence that there is a substantial negative impact on the community at large
• If the drugs were cut with a harmful cutting agent

If any of these factors apply to your case, it may increase the probability that you receive a custodial sentence for your part in the conspiracy. 

 

Mitigating factors

There are also a number of mitigating factors that can reduce the severity of your sentence, even if you’re found to be guilty. Some of these factors include:

• Having no previous criminal convictions
• Showing genuine remorse and being of good character
• Clearly lacking maturity or having a mental disorder
• If the defendant is the primary or sole carer for a dependent relative

If any of these or other mitigating factors can be proven to apply to your specific case, then it is likely that your solicitor will be able to use them as part of your defence strategy.

 

Seeking legal assistance

As mentioned above, it’s important that you reach out for legal assistance as soon as possible. It’s a general rule of thumb that the more time that your legal team has to help you develop a defence, the higher the chances are that it’ll be successful. Your criminal defence solicitor will be able to:

• Advise you before and during any interviews under caution you need to do with the police
• Help you to develop a legal defence, representing you in court if necessary
• Ensuring that the law is applied in a fair and just manner at all times
• Helping you through the appeals process if necessary

Whether you’ve been charged or suspect that you’re currently under investigation, it’s always best to seek advice before you absolutely need it. That way, you can potentially limit any further negative legal ramifications.