A Watford man became an “amateurish” drug dealer after falling into debt, a court heard.
Hadrian Follett, 63, appeared at St Albans Magistrates’ Court on Thursday (August 6) - three-and-a-half years after he was arrested in South Oxhey.
No explanation was given for the justice delay, which a magistrate labelled “remarkable”.
Prosecutor Nadine Mathurasangh said that at around 2.15pm on March 14, 2023, police spotted a silver Chevrolet “acting suspiciously” on Maylands Road.
Officers approached the vehicle at which point two men exited the rear and Follett, who was behind the wheel, drove away pursued by a police car.
“About 20 to 30 seconds later the vehicle parked, badly, on Ferndown Road. Officers then saw Mr Follett walking back to the Chevrolet from a building,” Ms Mathurasangh said.
A search of Follett’s car revealed 11 bags of cannabis, 3 mobile phones, a large hunting knife in a sheath, and nunchucks.
Ms Mathurasangh said: “Police then looked down the side of the building that Mr Follett had walked back from – there they found 39 more bags of cannabis.”
A search of Follett’s home on Otley Way revealed an even bigger stash of cannabis.
One of the men who had fled the car – Davie Turner, 21, of Penrose Avenue in Watford – was also arrested.
On him police found nine bags of cannabis, a balaclava and more than £500 in cash, the court heard.
When he was eventually charged more than three years later, Follett pleaded guilty to possessing an offensive weapon in public (the nunchucks) and possession with intent to supply cannabis.
Turner admitted one charge of possession with intent to supply cannabis.
The court heard that the hunting knife was attributed to a third man.
James O’Donnell, defending Follett, said his client had not been in trouble since 1997.
“He had come into financial problems which had led to his involvement in this,” Mr O’Donnell said. “The nunchucks in his car were for some degree of self-protection.”
He admitted that Follett’s criminal behaviour was somewhat “amateurish”.
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In defence of Turner, the court heard that he was 18 at the time of this offence and has made progress to tackle his cannabis misuse since he was arrested in 2023.
Both men were sentenced to six months in custody, suspended for one year.
They were each ordered to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work.
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