After convincing a judge that he only gave the substance for pain treatment, a BBC broadcaster and hundreds of cancer patients banded together to assist a cannabis dealer avoid jail.
Andrew Baines, 46, was facing a maximum sentence of 15 years in jail after police discovered 2 pounds of cannabis worth £10,000 and at least 30 plants at his Lincoln house in April 2020.
He was charged with the supply and manufacturing of a Class B narcotic, but when it became obvious that he exclusively sold to terminal cancer patients, he was charged with the lesser offense of cultivation and production.
Mr Baines pleaded guilty and the court was sent testimonies from hundreds of patients and their families explaining how he had helped relieve their pain. Among those who wrote to the judge was Becky Hayes, a presenter on BBC Radio Sheffield, who outlined how Mr Baines helped her father, who had throat cancer.
She said: ‘Andrew travelled a long way to come and see me and Dad to talk us through everything. He never charged for his time or asked for anything in return… he is the most selfless man.’
Mr Baines, who said he fell into debt providing the service, was given a six-month community order with no costs.
At Grimsby Magistrates’ Court, deputy district judge Geraldine Kelly said: ‘If the law was different, Mr Baines would have been applauded, not punished.’