Cannabis man had taser gun (From York Press)

Matthew Dolling pleads guilty to possessing cannabis and taser gun

8:07am Thursday 13th September 2012 in News By Megi Rychlikova, megi.rychlikova@thepress.co.uk

A BODYBUILDER who staged a “calculated defiance of the law” has escaped a trip to jail for the second time.

Matthew Anthony Dolling got a 12-week suspended sentence for producing cannabis and possessing cocaine in November last year, Robert Stevenson, prosecuting, told York Crown Court.

But four months later, he was stopped in a car with 2g of cannabis and when police searched his home, they found 179g more of the Class B drug and a taser gun. They also found scales and £230 in cash.

He was sent back to York Crown Court to decide if he should serve the 12-week sentence plus extra for his new offences.

Judge Scott Wolstenholme said: “It is the calculated defiance of the law which is troubling me.”

But after listening to defence barrister Chloe Fairley, the judge said: “It would be unjust on this occasion to impose the suspended sentence.”

Instead, he gave Dolling a second suspended sentence, 18 weeks’ imprisonment suspended for 12 months on condition he does a six-month drug rehabilitation order, 120 hours’ unpaid work and six months’ supervision.

Dolling, 26, of Dennison Street, The Groves, pleaded guilty to possessing cannabis and possessing a taser gun.

Miss Fairley said he had changed from the man he was in March when he was stopped by police.

She told the court that at the time he had a £300-a-week habit, but he was conquering it and had provided negative cannabis drugs tests and his brother had offered him a job provided he kicked his habit.

The judge pointed out that Dolling would be in employment now if he had not given up his job to concentrate on his hobby of bodybuilding.

The barrister accepted that the threat of serving the original prison sentence plus extra for the new offences had affected Dolling’s behaviour, but said he was motivated to change his lifestyle and give up the drugs that caused him problems.

All the cannabis had been for his own use.