Good Behaviour Bond for Cultivating Drugs for Commercial Purpose

Our 37 year old client was initially charged with ‘strictly indictable’ offences of ‘cultivate by enhanced indoor means prohibited plant for commercial purpose’ for growing 14 large cannabis plants under 4 tents in his Camperdown apartment and with supplying ecstacy.

He was also charged with several other offences involving selling fake goods and possessing prescribed restricted substances.

He was told by 2 other Sydney criminal law firms that:

1. the case would have to go up to the District Court because the two main charges are ‘strictly indictable’ and at least one would not be withdrawn,
2. he could not participate in the drug MERIT program due to the charges, and
3. he would likely receive between 15 months and 2 years full time prison, due to the seriousness of the charges and a previous conviction that he had.

He then came to Sydney Criminal Lawyers® who fought and succeeded in:

1. having both of the ‘strictly indictable’ charges downgraded (to straight ‘cultivation’ and ‘possession’ only)- so that the case stayed in Downing Centre Local Court rather than going to the District Court which would have exposed him to higher penalties,
2. convincing the Magistrate to let him undertake the MERIT program, which he completed, and then
3. obtaining section 9 Good Behaviour Bonds and small fines only.

It pays to have a confident and superior defence team on your side.