THE DISTINCT smell of cannabis was sniffed out by police when they went to put a Rugby woman’s dog back in her home after arresting her over a neighbours’ dispute.
And when they searched Joanna Diston’s home they found a quantity of the drug and evidence she had been dealing, Warwick Crown Court has heard.
The 29 year-old of Berrybanks, Bilton, was given a 12-month community order, with a rehabilitation requirement, after pleading guilty to possessing cannabis with intent to supply it.
Prosecutor Stuart Clarkson said at around midnight on August 1 last year, police were called to Berrybanks because of a report of a neighbours’ dispute.
As a result, Diston was arrested, but before she could be taken away, her Labrador had to be put inside.
And when the officers took the dog into the kitchen of her home, they could smell cannabis.
They found seven grams of the drug in the kitchen, and when they searched the rest of the property they discovered a further 163 grams in the bedroom, together with a set of scales and some small plastic ‘dealer bags.’
Mr Clarkson observed: “It’s clearly very low-level dealing, and the telephone evidence from her mobile phone also evidenced low-level dealing.”
Tim Sapwell, defending, said Diston had no previous convictions which he described as “impressive” for someone with the background set out in the pre-sentence report.
He added: “She first encountered class A drugs when she was 11 in the family setting. It is a distressing tale.”
He pointed out that only two out of 154 text messages on Diston’s phone had anything to do with drugs.
“She was involved in this because of her class A drug addiction, and she was also using cannabis herself.
“She has taken steps to address her addiction and is living in supported accommodation after going into rehab in Luton, as a result of which she is away from her home.”
Recorder Roger Evans said because of the efforts Diston had made to tackle her drug problems the matter could be dealt with by a community order.
Low-level drug dealer Joanna Diston was given a 12-month community order. (s)
