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James Ireland and Donavan Demetrius
Assisting an offender - NOT GUILTY
Jaydene Parker, 23, and boyfriend 29-year-old Karl Demetrius admitted assisting an offender at an earlier hearing.
Thinking about the implications of the "assisting an offender" charge. If they were thought to have been aware of the true contents of the packages, could they have been charged with something more serious?
If I agreed to store some cannabis or stolen goods, I would still be guilty of "assisting an offender" even if it turned out to be the far more serious matter of the remains of a murder victim and I did not know that. My thinking is that it would be sensible to plead guilty, as two of them have done. They had to have known there was something illegal about the items, but not necessarily what it was.
ETA I say they "had to have known" because of the evidence that they were expecting to be paid a considerable sum.
I also do wonder, was it usual for NM to offer £5,000 simply for storing some cannabis ?
I also do wonder, was it usual for NM to offer £5,000 simply for storing some cannabis ? To me, that would seem a large amount, but then I don't know the relative costs involved ( how much NM would have made , assuming it was cannabis )
It would be his cover for driving around and dropping off ... but I would imagine if NM was heavily involved with drugs we might have heard something along those lines from somewhere even if it were just social media.If you search for recent cannabis busts, 60KG of cannabis would have an estimated street value of £750,000 or more.
All these characters seem far too small scale to be handling that kind of value. Wasn't NM supposed to be driving part time delivering for the local takeaway? Why would he need to do that if he was moving that kind of value in cannabis.
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Pretty sure there was some mention of it on the forum back when they were all arrested.It would be his cover for driving around and dropping off ... but I would imagine if NM was heavily involved with drugs we might have heard something along those lines from somewhere even if it were just social media.
That's the thing, if he was dealing on that scale there were no outward signs of it. No flash cars, flash apartments or houses. Just not believable.I knew a guy that was a BIG TIME drug dealer. He worked at the Liquor Store as he needed a job in order to declare income and provide income tax filings. It was strictly a front so he didn't arouse suspicion. It was the big fancy house, cars, trips, clothes etc., that gave him away in the end. Once again, criminals seems to think they are smarter than the rest of us. NOT!
That's the thing, if he was dealing on that scale there were no outward signs of it. No flash cars, flash apartments or houses. Just not believable.
Still find it incredible that they have admitted another crime by trying to excuse the other.
Can understand why it wasn't that clear.Not sure what you mean there, Wallace. The way I see it, they (well, two of them) have admitted the single crime they have been charged with, namely assisting an offender. I'm sure none of them are "excusing" murder.
In their position, I would put my hands up, say "yes, I did offer to store something and I had a good idea it was illegal goods. But if I had suspected for one moment it was connected to a kidnap and murder, I would not have done so".
Can understand why it wasn't that clear.
The excusing was not to do with the murder, and after all they are not being accused of murder, but simply assisting an offender.
They were obviously caught over a barrel due to the amount of money they were offered, they had to know it was something dodgy. Just can't see how claiming they were moving 60KG of cannabis helps their situation.
Can understand why it wasn't that clear.
The excusing was not to do with the murder, and after all they are not being accused of murder, but simply assisting an offender.
They were obviously caught over a barrel due to the amount of money they were offered, they had to know it was something dodgy. Just can't see how claiming they were moving 60KG of cannabis helps their situation.
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Due to the weight we are talking about approx 60KG it would be a category 1 offence. Their role could be argued to be significant so that has a starting point of 10 years. Even a lesser role would have a starting point of 7 years.Can only speak for myself, but my opinion of someone who agreed to store illegal goods, whether it be bags of weed, stolen TVs or whatever, would be very different from that of someone who knowingly agreed to store the dismembered body of a murdered teenager.
Cannabis offences are dealt with quite leniently in the UK. Especially if you're young/first time offender/low down the chain.
As you say, they almost certainly knew it was something illegal, whether or not they knew it was a body I don't know, saying they thought it was weed and thus insinuating perhaps they were used to handling weed is a lot better than insinuating they're involved with storing and or dealing cocaine or heroin.