British Ecstasy Dealer Sentenced To 7 Years Jail

[LivinLOS]

Providing a drug used mostly by teenagers is irresponsible. It is a drug that kills.

Far less people than alchohol or cigarettes.. even on a per user basis..

Ohh I fogot its ok to drink your drugs.. Those nice taxable drugs..

Go back to sleep people.. Nothing to see here..

[snoophound]

ho hum

its a thai law

when in rome.......

Respect the law.

He was a moron lets face it

Providing a drug used mostly by teenagers is irresponsible. It is a drug that kills.

Far less people than alchohol or cigarettes.. even on a per user basis..

Ohh I fogot its ok to drink your drugs.. Those nice taxable drugs..

Go back to sleep people.. Nothing to see here..

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[britmaveric]

Yep - nothing to see here!!! The lad got what he deserved, actually maybe less!!!

[CarlBkk]

People have a choice whether they buy drugs such as E or not. The risk of death from allergic reaction is tiny. People don't have a choice if they get raped, scarred or killed.

The sentences should be very different. Thai legal system still has a lot to learn before it can be classed as "developed" and "fair".

[LivinLOS]

ho hum

its a thai law

when in rome.......

Respect the law.

He was a moron lets face it

Providing a drug used mostly by teenagers is irresponsible. It is a drug that kills.

Far less people than alchohol or cigarettes.. even on a per user basis..

Ohh I fogot its ok to drink your drugs.. Those nice taxable drugs..

Go back to sleep people.. Nothing to see here..

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes its Thai law.. I just was involved in a situation where a drunk Thai man killed a farang girl (15) 5 - 7 times over the legal limit of alchohol.. He had influencial friends..

The police bent over backwards to let him off the hook, bending the evidence so far as to 'forget' to include the fact that hed been drinking.. Only got caught at the last minute otherwise he would have been freed..

Sentance 18 months.. We hear he may be out in 2 - 4 with community service..

So death of a teenager gets a couple of months.. Some drugs gets 8.5 years (add in time served)..

Thai law..

[britmaveric]

ho hum

its a thai law

when in rome.......

Respect the law.

He was a moron lets face it

Providing a drug used mostly by teenagers is irresponsible. It is a drug that kills.

Far less people than alchohol or cigarettes.. even on a per user basis..

Ohh I fogot its ok to drink your drugs.. Those nice taxable drugs..

Go back to sleep people.. Nothing to see here..

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes its Thai law.. I just was involved in a situation where a drunk Thai man killed a farang girl (15) 5 - 7 times over the legal limit of alchohol.. He had influencial friends..

The police bent over backwards to let him off the hook, bending the evidence so far as to 'forget' to include the fact that hed been drinking.. Only got caught at the last minute otherwise he would have been freed..

Sentance 18 months.. We hear he may be out in 2 - 4 with community service..

So death of a teenager gets a couple of months.. Some drugs gets 8.5 years (add in time served)..

Thai law..

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Unfortunately no different in the West - probably would have got off scott free. Influence/dosh in most cases will always get you out of trouble.

[CarlBkk]

Unfortunately no different in the West - probably would have got off scott free. Influence/dosh in most cases will always get you out of trouble.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

NO different from in the West?! Situations like this would happen in the West because the culprit is police, businessman, civil servant or Lord? Absolute rubbish. It's completely different 99.9% of the time.

[Michael Dorn]

Another waste of time thread!

EVERYBODY knows how Thailand treats drug offences.

You play with that and get caught... Som nam na

No sympathy here also

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I totally agree

[Insight]

So the sentencing was based on 50 pills, with a guess that he originally had 1,000 pills.

Of Ecstacy. Not Coke, not Smack, not Yaba or Ice.

In this light it seems quite harsh. One thing is for certain though - if it was a Thai national, the sentencing wouldn't be any different. I know of one Thai guy (friend of a friend of a friend etc - caught in possesion of 80 pills) who's up for a similar conviction, and no amount of money his father is chucking at the system is appears to be able to change it, not even for bail.

(The silly sod is apparently from a very well-to-do background).

[Richard Hall]

People are indeed amazing.

Well, a drug dealer has been convicted and sentenced to do time in prison and basically the message is just if one breaks the law and gets caught he's gotta face the music.

A very simple and very easy message to understand and actually there is absolutely nothing to argue about it. But what do we get. People put the sentence in question, the legal system, whether drugs are actually harmful etc. etc.

How come that freedom of speech is so often mixed up with freedom to BS. What a waste of bandwith particularly because all that babbling doesnt' change a thing. The guy will do his time and there will always be others following in his footsteps believing that they can outsmart the system. Deja vus again and again and people repeat the same mistakes again and again. No, the homo sapiens undoubtedly is surely not the smartest species on this planet - even a Thai soi dog does better although the barking appears to have the same sound.

[dantilley]

Would the people saying his punishment is too harsh complain if his drugs killed a 16 year old girl at a party? Would they blame the girl for taking the drug or the dealer who sold it?

Maybe an adult used the drug and gets in their car to drive and kills someone crossing the street.

What on earth sre you talking about? Statistically, you have more chance of dying by choking on a bay leaf than taking ecstacy. As drugs go, it's much safer than alhohol or tobacco, both of which are legal. People should be allowed to make their own choices about whether they want to enhance their mood by taking substances.

Agreed, though, you have to live by the law of the country you're living in and you're a total idiot if you deal drugs in Thailand.

[bajajvivek]

Well Said Martin

Cheers

Vivek

Drug dealing is an offence "committed with malice aforethought".

Lots of "blood crimes" are done without being planned in any way whatsoever. Some result from a completely unexpected provocation.

So there is no logic in saying that all 'blood crimes' should get bigger sentences than 'non-blood' crimes.

Personally, I regard drug dealing as a 'blood crime' anyway; and a particularly vicious one, as the drugs may well end up ruining the life of a young person.

Any society has the right to make rules to protect its young, and if Thailand has made these rules it is up to visitors to obey them, or have the promulgated sanctions applied.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[rcalsop]

People have a choice whether they buy drugs such as E or not.  The risk of death from allergic reaction is tiny.  People don't have a choice if they get raped, scarred or killed.

The sentences should be very different.  Thai legal system still has a lot to learn before it can be classed as "developed" and "fair".

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[sriracha john]

No, the homo sapiens undoubtedly is surely not the smartest species on this planet - even a Thai soi dog does better although the barking appears to have the same sound. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well, just to take things even a bit MORE off-topic, I would dispute your assertion having seen one of the neighborhood soi dogs fatally struck by a car this morning. This same dog already had a bad limp from having previously been hit by a car. So, despite our human shortcomings... I maintain that soi dogs are NOT any smarter, or if they are... they are only marginally so.

[Neeranam]

I feel sorry for the guy. Drugs nearly killed me and certainly made me do things that I wouldn't normally do and feel morally wrong. When on drugs, you do bloody stupid things. Have some compassion for this poor guy.

Does anyone know about the huge benzodiazepine problem in Thailand? Guess who the dealers are here - the doctors, all getting backhanders from the drug companies. They should be given 8 years, as they are knowingly causing addicts of a much worse drug than ecstasy, when they know better.

[ilyushin]

Before and after....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

brown rice and fish diet and lack of calcium. 7 years is a death sentence for the young lad.

[rcalsop]

People have a choice whether they buy drugs such as E or not.  The risk of death from allergic reaction is tiny.  People don't have a choice if they get raped, scarred or killed.

The sentences should be very different.  Thai legal system still has a lot to learn before it can be classed as "developed" and "fair".

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The risk of death from allergic reaction is tiny ( a murder is mostly 1 person at a time , a rape is one person at a time) no risk of death by another hand is acceptable .

Written from the perspective of a father who had his 18 year old daughter killed by being slipped drugs ( she knew she had severe allergic reaction to all sorts of things and carried special medication so knew experimentation was not an option )

The dealer who believed she was only a party pooper when she said NO to trying a drug ( his words ) slipped her drugs so she could loosen up and become his customer.... He was a murderer . This was in Spain the British /European justice system failed this time and to cut a long story short when he returned to Spain many expats and locals were very unhappy I had some good friends there..

The dealer is no longer a dealer , and he no longer parties

[slim]

Same drug those creeps in Aruba gave the Holloway kid. Along with booze, it apparently mows down all defenses

No it doesn't - thats Rohypnol or possibly Ketamine

Before and after....

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/uploads/post...45501_thumb.jpg

This woman was a heroin addict in the UK - from Bristol I think.

One might say that would be a more appropriate sentence for this killer rather than the the 36 hours of community service she received:

Killer? This is news. I thought the guy was busted for dealing Ecstacy.

In my opinion, he holds the same status as the murdering seperatist in the south of Thailand. They kill without thinking about it.

Providing a drug used mostly by teenagers is irresponsible. It is a drug that kills.

A drug that kills?

7 people in every million according to the latest figures which is 618 less than the 625 alcohol related deaths per million per year*

In fact, in 2003 more people died from eating peanuts, being attacked by donkeys or having fridges falling on them than died from taking Ecstacy and of the 72 people who died that year of Ecstacy related deaths 60 had other substances in their blood stream and of the 12 deaths wholly attributed to Ecstacy, 10 of the deaths were due to hyperthermia which is completely preventable by getting off the dance floor and having a drink of water regularly. Which leaves just 2 deaths in 2003 from people who have suffered an allergic reaction to the drug (making it far a far safer drug than Asprin)

That said, the penalties for dealing or using drugs in Thailand are severe.

The warnings are clear, and printed in not only travel information, but on large notices all over the airport. You also "sign your life away" when you put your signature on that immigration form. I clearly states the penalties for posessing drugs. Why, I ask myself are people so stupid?

He can think himself lucky it was Thailand, and not elsewhere in SE Asia where the sentence could have been much more severe.

Good point.

Unfortunately no different in the West - probably would have got off scott free. Influence/dosh in most cases will always get you out of trouble.

You're dreaming - wake up.

I know someone who got 4 years jail for possessing 18 ecstacy pills in a club in Manchester. Thats possessing - not dealing.

The drugs laws in Thailand are Draconian but its their country and its their laws. If you don't agree with them, then leave but if you stay then dont do drugs ! - it just ain't worth it.

[LivinLOS]

People have a choice whether they buy drugs such as E or not.  The risk of death from allergic reaction is tiny.  People don't have a choice if they get raped, scarred or killed.

The sentences should be very different.  Thai legal system still has a lot to learn before it can be classed as "developed" and "fair".

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The risk of death from allergic reaction is tiny ( a murder is mostly 1 person at a time , a rape is one person at a time) no risk of death by another hand is acceptable .

Written from the perspective of a father who had his 18 year old daughter killed by being slipped drugs ( she knew she had severe allergic reaction to all sorts of things and carried special medication so knew experimentation was not an option )

The dealer who believed she was only a party pooper when she said NO to trying a drug ( his words ) slipped her drugs so she could loosen up and become his customer.... He was a murderer . This was in Spain the British /European justice system failed this time and to cut a long story short when he returned to Spain many expats and locals were very unhappy I had some good friends there..

The dealer is no longer a dealer , and he no longer parties

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Then this person should have been dealt with to the full power of the law, murder or possibly manslaughter would have been wholly appropriate charge IMHO.

[LivinLOS]

Unfortunately no different in the West - probably would have got off scott free. Influence/dosh in most cases will always get you out of trouble.

You're dreaming - wake up.

I know someone who got 4 years jail for possessing 18 ecstacy pills in a club in Manchester. Thats possessing - not dealing.

However your not implying that thats a normal UK sentence are you.. I know of many people who have been caught with 50 - 100 and have had non custodial sentencing in the UK.. To be sent to prison for 18 pills in the UK is a very harsh sentence in UK terms.

In Holland 80 pills gets a caution.. I see very few side effects to Holland as a society for thier tolerance and eduction systems about drug use.. They have less herion users now than in the 70's and the average age of those addicts is now in their 40's instead of 20's (in other words its the same ones that are still alive)..

Edited October 6, 2005 by LivinLOS

[BlackJack]

apparently mows down all defenses.  Seven years in the slammer isn't enough.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You are on another planet... As said before, murderers can get bail... For 30 pills no... This is insane.

More and more, Thailand from a "justice" point of view looks like Saudi Arabia.

Soon, we will have the "charia". What do you want ? Public flagellation for drug dealers, or maybe cut off some hands ? Ah no, I guess you would prefer lapidation. Yeah, I think people like you are a bunch of "stoners".

This should arouse you, isn't it ?

There is one essential concept in any "rational" legal system : the sentence must be proportionate to the offense.

So a blood crime = death sentence or life emprisonnement for instance. Easy to understand.

In this regard, life emprisonnement for drugs dealing, or 7 years for 30 pills, i'm sorry, but it make no sense.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

mmm your logic is basically flawed as this is Thailand and Thai law - not EU or Middle east

Tone it down

remember when in Thailand do as the Thais do

[cwheat]

[qoute]

So the sentencing was based on 50 pills, with a guess that he originally had 1,000 pills.

Of Ecstacy. Not Coke, not Smack, not Yaba or Ice.[/qoute]

Not coke, not smack, not yaba or Ice... Besides being a "party dance" drug do you really know what exstacy is? How it is made? Look up MDMA in google some time.

I don't take drugs (any more), but i am not here to preach either... I believe that if a person wants for what ever reason to get "HIGH" that is up to them, it is their life and if they want to spend it being HIGH than that is well up to them.

That said, what you think or what I think about drug use does not matter. The laws in Thailand are strict on drug use, every one knows it. It is on the arrival card you have to fill out to come in this country. If a drug user or dealer wants to take drugs/deal drugs in a country with strong laws against such actions then don't sympathies for them when they get thrown in jail. If you are an avid drug user/dealer why not move to an area that is well known to permit drug use (Amsterdam anyone)..

While I think that if he wants to use/sell drugs that is up to him and his clients, Thailand simply enforced the laws they have against the actions this guy decided to make... I don't feel sorry at all for him.

I wonder though since he owned and operated a drug cartel... what did they do with the Thai national that owed a 60% stake in the business

[meemiathai]

The guy should be happy they didn't tack on a life sentence penalty for not having a Work Permit  and proper visa while doing business in Thailand!!!!!!!!!

[sriracha john]

One might say that would be a more appropriate sentence for this killer rather than the the 36 hours of community service she received:

Killer? This is news. I thought the guy was busted for dealing Ecstacy.

Just for clarity sake, the "killer" mentioned was the woman cited in the referred thread, not the guy in the OP.

Otherwise, nice post, Slim.

[meemiathai]

Unfortunately no different in the West - probably would have got off scott free. Influence/dosh in most cases will always get you out of trouble.

NO different from in the West?! Situations like this would happen in the West because the culprit is police, businessman, civil servant or Lord? Absolute rubbish. It's completely different 99.9% of the time.

I agree. A lot more money has to be involved than in Thailand.

[seahko]

Drug dealing is an offence "committed with malice aforethought".

Lots of "blood crimes" are done without being planned in any way whatsoever. Some result from a completely unexpected provocation.

So there is no logic in saying that all 'blood crimes' should get bigger sentences than 'non-blood' crimes.

Personally, I regard drug dealing as a 'blood crime' anyway; and a particularly vicious one, as the drugs may well end up ruining the life of a young person.

Any society has the right to make rules to protect its young, and if Thailand has made these rules it is up to visitors to obey them, or have the promulgated sanctions applied.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[ray23]

Drug dealing is an offence "committed with malice aforethought".

Lots of "blood crimes" are done without being planned in any way whatsoever. Some result from a completely unexpected provocation.

So there is no logic in saying that all 'blood crimes' should get bigger sentences than 'non-blood' crimes.

Personally, I regard drug dealing as a 'blood crime' anyway; and a particularly vicious one, as the drugs may well end up ruining the life of a young person.

Any society has the right to make rules to protect its young, and if Thailand has made these rules it is up to visitors to obey them, or have the promulgated sanctions applied.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Pretty simple stuff you decided to go to a foriegn country, no one forced you to do it. So it's thier way or the highway

[slim]

However your not implying that thats a normal UK sentence are you.. I know of many people who have been caught with 50 - 100 and have had non custodial sentencing in the UK.. To be sent to prison for 18 pills in the UK is a very harsh sentence in UK

No - its not normal, he got Manchester notorious hanging judge in a bad mood.

Its the scourge of the British judicial system - uneven sentencing.

At least in Thailand you know where you stand if you're caught (not that I agree with their laws - I just comply by them)

[StateSix]

Unfortunately no different in the West - probably would have got off scott free. Influence/dosh in most cases will always get you out of trouble.

You're dreaming - wake up.

I know someone who got 4 years jail for possessing 18 ecstacy pills in a club in Manchester. Thats possessing - not dealing.

However your not implying that thats a normal UK sentence are you.. I know of many people who have been caught with 50 - 100 and have had non custodial sentencing in the UK.. To be sent to prison for 18 pills in the UK is a very harsh sentence in UK terms.

In Holland 80 pills gets a caution.. I see very few side effects to Holland as a society for thier tolerance and eduction systems about drug use.. They have less herion users now than in the 70's and the average age of those addicts is now in their 40's instead of 20's (in other words its the same ones that are still alive)..

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If you have 18 pills in your personal possession in a club then you are definitely getting arrested for, and almost certainly charged with, possession with intent to supply. I know that tolerance builds and heavy users can get through many pills in a night, but there is something suspicious about having 18 in your possession in a club. Even if he was holding them for friends the law still views this as an intention to supply them. Were they all for personal use, or was he holding them for friends? Ecstacy is also a class A substance in the UK and as such dealing has a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. 4 years seems a bit long but possible reasons for it are he pleaded not guilty and he had previous for this or similar offences. Was he actually found guilty of possession, or possession with intent to supply?

LivinLOS

I find it very hard to believe that you know MANY people who have been caught with 50 - 100 pills and got non custodial sentences. There is no way you would get away with a simple possession charge for that, it would be supplying. Even a suspended sentence for that amount would be unusual and would certainly lead to the police/CPS appealing against the sentence. Yes it is possible to receive a non custodial sentence, but that is based on previous good character, pleading guilty and co-operating on where you bought them from etc. This is the exception rather than the norm. I would also add that I hope you merely know who these people are who deal 50-100 pills and that they are not friends or associates. I do agree with you about the Dutch approach to drug abuse (medical treatment, education, access to testing that your drugs are clean etc).

This is all off topic and not relevant to here anyway. This guy knowingly sold a drug in a country that it is widely known to have very strict laws. The guy should really be counting his lucky stars that he only got caught with 50 pills and only got 7 years. Remember Michael Connell. He got 99 years for importing 3400 pills.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...3626&hl=connell

Now that is an extreme sentence.

BTW on the BKKTonite site someone claims that this guy was repeatedly raped during the 17 months he was on remand and is in a right state. Not sure if I believe that but I bet he didnt think about that when he was strutting around Phuket playing at being Mr Bad Ass Gangster Drug Dealer (which I have no doubt he was).

[Wellington]

The time already served since his arrest more than 17 months ago will not be deducted from his sentence.

Whaat?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

However heinous the crime,it seems like funny justice when time served is not deducted; 17 months already inside ;is this normal time to wait for court hearing in Phuket?