Drug Offences
Drug offences make up some of the most common criminal charges and can range from the relatively minor offence of possession to major crimes such as international drug trafficking.
Our specialist Drug Offence Solicitors understand the stress and anxiety you may be feeling if you are facing a criminal charge related to drug offences.
We are highly recommended as an expert criminal defence law firm for people accused of drug-related offences. Based in Coventry, our solicitors provide 24/7 police station representation, therefore, we will be at your side, protecting your interests from the start. Because we understand the correct procedure the police must follow when making a drug-related arrest, we will carefully examine the circumstances surrounding your detention and challenge the charges made against you if the police did not follow proper processes upon arrest.
Our team has in-depth experience in defending serious criminal charges including drug offences. We work with the country’s top expert witnesses and focus on providing you with advice and representation you can trust. We know that your reputation, your freedom, and your family’s financial security is at stake – therefore, we never give up until every appeal has been exhausted.
We are a diverse, multi-lingual law firm that uses best-in-class technology to provide clients with a streamlined, modern, and highly effective criminal defence. Furthermore, years of experience in criminal law means we have created relationships with some of the UK’s best Barristers and Queen’s Counsel. Our clients also benefit from our ability to instruct the country’s most respected expert witnesses who can provide the Court with the facts required to support a not guilty plea or mitigate the sentence handed down by the Judge.
Below are several common questions clients ask us concerning drug offences.
What type of drugs are the most commonly involved in drug offences?
The following drugs are often the subject of drug offences:
- Marijuana/Cannabis
- Ecstasy
- Heroin
- Benzodiazepines
- Amphetamines
- Cocaine
- Crack Cocaine
- Methamphetamine
- MDMA
- LSD
The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 classifies drugs into one of three categories, with Class A being the most serious, then Class B and finally Class C.
Large scale drug crime investigations often result in conspiracy charges. Cases frequently involve undercover police operations, cross-border enforcement agency cooperation, complex telephone evidence, detailed forensic investigations involving DNA, fingerprints, and analysis of drugs. Following conviction, confiscation proceedings under the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) 2002 are likely.
As the above illustrates, drug offence prosecutions are exceptionally intricate. We are the most experienced Drug Crime Solicitors in Coventry and Warwickshire and take a proactive approach to protect your interests in drug crime investigations and creating a persuasive defence should prosecution prove inevitable.
What are the offences under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971?
Offences under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 include:
- Possession.
- Possession with intent to supply.
- Production cultivation or manufacture.
- Supplying another person.
- Offering to supply another person.
- Allowing a property to be used for the consumption (cannabis or opium only), supply or production of illegal drugs.
What is the difference between the offence of ‘possession’ and ‘possession with intent to supply’?
Possession of a controlled drug is the least serious of the main drug offences. The Prosecution must prove that you ‘possessed’ the drug, i.e it was on your person or in your control (for example hidden in your house) and you knew you had the substance.
One of the most common offences we deal with is ‘possession with intent to supply’, which is a more serious crime than mere ‘possession’.
Section 28 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 provides a statutory defence to the charge of ‘possession with intent to supply:
“It shall be a defence for the accused to prove that he neither knew of nor suspected nor had reason to suspect the existence of some fact alleged by the prosecution which it is necessary for the prosecution to prove if he is to be convicted of the offence charged”
We will intensively prepare for your trial and collate the necessary evidence required to persuade the Court that you had no intention of supplying the controlled drug and only had it in your possession. Although this will result in you having a criminal record, you will escape the lengthy custodial sentence that can be handed down following a ‘possession with intent to supply’ conviction.
You can trust us to provide the advice you need to make the best decision on how to plead your case.
Why choose us?
Regardless of the charges against you, you are entitled to a criminal defence. We do not judge our clients; our only objective is to defend you against the Prosecution’s allegations. You can be confident that instructing us to defend you greatly improves your chances of receiving an acquittal or reduced sentence. The most important factor is to contact us as soon as you become aware of the criminal charges brought against you.
People choose and recommend us not just in Coventry, Rugby and Leamington, but across the Midlands and the whole of the UK.