Posted on 09/21/2012 11:41:33 PM PDT by Slings and Arrows
Two men have made UK legal history after being convicted of a drugs-related offence even though the substances involved are not illegal, police said.
Anthony Woodford, 23, and David Lewinson, 44, stood trial after Lewinson was found with 150kg of grounded Paracetamol and caffeine at Dover docks in Kent.
Although the substances are not illegal, investigators suspected they would be used as cutting agents for heroin, giving the Class A drug a street value of more than £5 million.
The Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate launched an investigation and identified Woodford as the organiser of the cross-Channel trip, which led on to a landmark prosecution.
The pair were charged under the Serious Crime Act 2007 with 'importing a quantity of caffeine and paracetamol which was capable of encouraging or assisting ... the supply of a controlled drug of Class A'.
At Maidstone Crown Court on Monday, a jury found Woodford, of Harlow, Essex, and Lewinson, of Colindale, north London, guilty of the offence.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
FWIW, I think that the perps were indeed going to deal drugs. I'm just not too thrilled with the idea of "pre-crimes."
P.S. Paracetamol is the British name for Tylenol / Acetaminophen.
Kinda like the third degree given to Americans who buy cold medicine. Sure the end product is horrific but let Darwin sort ‘em out.
So did the jury.
I'm just not too thrilled with the idea of "pre-crimes."
Being arrested and found guilty for carrying burglary tools has been around for a long time. Same concept.
The gravestone of the Constitution will bear the epitaph “It’s For Your Own Good.”
“The truck rental — $250. The fertilizer was about... it was either $250 or $500. The nitro methane was the big cost. It was like $1,500. Actually, lemme see, 900, 2,700,... we’re talking $3,500 there... Lets round it up. I just gave you the major expenses, so go to like five grand... what’s five grand?” — Timothy McVeigh, on the cost of the preparations
If they had added some aspirin, they’d have had Excedrin Extra Strength.
Very true...hey! I’ve got that stuff in my medicine cabinet! I’m a drug criminal!
Hopefully one day we’ll be able to get these vicious perps for thoughtcrime long before they act.
Politicians are like condoms: They give you a false sense of security while you’re being *****ed.
Doubleplusgood!
I often carry a screwdriver, (”Burglary tool”) especially when the Mrs has been having trouble with the Maytag... I only have to “walk up to it with a tool and a determined look on my face and it starts behaving”... or so she says.
Much as I hate being serious at this (or any other) time of the night, I must point out that thoughtcrime is already a reality.
How else would you explain “hate crimes?”
They are assigning extra penalty for your intentions in doing something. Punishment should be meted out for the crime itself, not what you were feeling while you were doing it.
If you can be given extra punishment for the fact that you hated someone while you were beating him up, or burning down his house, then it’s no step at all to punish you for that hate in advance of the act.
People like you our Founding Fathers fought against.
Then around 1900 we started to become them.
Heh.
FIEND!!!!
;D
You are one warped dude.
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