Addict is jailed for drugs and weapons stash (From thisisoxfordshire)

Addict is jailed for drugs and weapons stash

6:00pm Friday 18th January 2013 in News By Joe Nimmo, Senior reporter. Call me on (01865) 425373.

A DRUG dealer has been jailed after police found thousands of pounds of cocaine and cannabis and a stash of weapons in a raid.

Joseph Kibble, of Pennywell Drive, Cutteslowe, Oxford, was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison at Oxford Crown Court.

When police raided the 28-year-old’s house in May last year they found the drugs, knives and a loaded crossbow.

While searching Kibble’s home they also discovered two illegal weapons – a can of tear gas and a taser disguised as a mobile phone, which was hidden under his bed.

In December, he admitted possessing 11 grams of cocaine with intent to supply and 400 grams of cannabis with intent to supply.

He also confessed to possessing a disguised firearm – which usually carries a minimum of five years in prison – and possessing the tear gas, another banned weapon.

Jane Brady, defending, told the court that her client had forgotten he even owned the taser, which had run out of charge and no longer worked.

She said: “The defendant has consistently said all the way through that he had completely forgotten that this was under his bed.

“His bedroom was in a very messy condition when police searched it, as you might expect from a young man of his age.

“Now he finds himself caught between a very hard rock and a very hard place.

“This kind of weapon is at the very, very low end of the firearm spectrum.

“And it was overlooked by him for many, many years.”

There is a minimum five-year sentence for possessing a banned firearm for anyone over 18 under Section 287 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 .

But Miss Brady argued that the circumstances in this case were exceptional.

Paul Harrison, prosecuting, admitted that the taser was not in working order.

He said: “After being taken by Thames Valley Police it was examined by the force armourer, who was not able to get it to work.

“He believed the battery was flat.”

Miss Brady added that the other weapons in Kibble’s home were only used when he went hunting with his friends.

She said: “He has a long term drug addiction to cannabis and cocaine, but he is not a violent person.

“And he is willing to change and put his problems behind him.”

At Monday’s sentencing, Judge Gordon Risius agreed that the circumstances of Kibble’s firearm possession were exceptional and so sentenced him to six months.

He also handed him a concurrent three-month sentence for the tear gas.

For the drug offences he got concurrent sentences of two years for the cocaine and six weeks for the cannabis.