A pair of student drug dealers have been spared from jail after a judge was impressed by their grammar.
The pair, Luke Rance, 19, and Brandon Kerrison, 21, were arrested outside a Swansea library when they were found in possession of the Class B drug.
A court heard police examined their mobile phones to find text messages relating to their drug deals composed using perfect spelling and punctuation.
Judge David Hale said the ‘grammar and punctuation’ in the messages was of a much higher standard than normally seen from dealers and indicated a higher level of education.
Swansea Crown Court heard one message from Kerrison’s phone said:
‘Mad flavours from 10 tonight – let me know for more details’.
The court heard Kerrison was studying at Llansamlet Construction College in Swansea. Rance, who takes part in theatre productions, was due to start a degree having studied at Gower College, also in Swansea.
The judge said he did not want to ‘fetter the prospects’ of either man by sending them to jail.
Instead Kerrison and Rance were handed community orders with 100 hours of unpaid work.
Had Judge Hale wanted to impose a harsher punishment, sentencing guidelines indicate the pair could have been imprisoned for up to 26 weeks.
Kerrison, of Southgate, Swansea, admitted possession of cannabis with intent to supply and being concerned in the supply of cannabis.
