A CANNABIS dealer who had initially been ordered to serve an eight-month prison sentence will no longer face jail after he successfully appealed against his punishment.

Jesse Gant, 25, of Parade Square, Colchester, was arrested on his birthday in February last year after a member of the public contacted police to complain of a strong smell of cannabis emanating from a block of flats.

When asked to empty his pockets by officers, Gant produced £225 in cash and three mobile phones.

After a search of his address in Parade Square, officers found 500g of cannabis worth thousands of pounds as well as £1,460 in cash.

In September, Gant admitted two drugs offences – one of possession with the intent to supply cannabis and another of supplying cannabis – with a judge at Colchester Magistrates Court ordering he serve eight months in prison.

But at an appeal hearing at Chelmsford Crown Court on Friday, Recorder Timothy Godfrey reduced Gant’s punishment to an 18-month suspended sentence, 15 days of rehabilitation activities, 90 hours of unpaid work, and a £330 surcharge.

Read more:

• Meet the Colchester veteran, 92, who watched his third monarch's funeral

• Colchester falls silent as city bids final farewell to Her Majesty

• Colchester United dismiss Wayne Brown as head coach

Sean Summerfield, prosecuting, said: "Messages on [Gant’s] phones indicated established dealing with marketing messages sent to an established customer base."

But defending barrister Dan Taylor argued Gant turned to drug dealing after Covid-19 pandemic affected his income, adding Gant fully admitted to his wrongdoing.

He said: "The fact that [Gant] poses a low risk or reconviction suggests he can be punished in the community for this offending.

"At no stage has Gant sought to diminish his offending – he explained quite candidly the motivation for it, that it had been financial because of the Covid-19 impact on his finances, and he demonstrated a much higher degree of insight than one would normally expect to see with first-time offenders.

"He described his actions as naïve, reckless, desperate and stupid – it’s very difficult to put it much better than that."

Recorder Godfrey said: "It’s clear you involved yourself in a drug supply operation that was well-planned and professionally run.

"But in our judgement, it is right that your sentence be suspended."

Gant’s co-defendant awaits sentence at Ipswich Crown Court.