Drugs

A busy remand court today, and, as ever, drugs were high up on the agenda. Dealers and users (often the same people) vied with bottom-of-the -heap shoplifters who have trouble squaring a £60 per day habit with the munificent £43 they receive each week in benefit. So often the sad face of the girlfriend (about a third of whom were pregnant today) peers through the armoured glass of the public gallery, hoping for a last glimpse of the boyfriend before he is driven off to jail. We even had one try to force her way into the cells today, as her tattooed paramour was being taken downstairs.

Quantities ranged from a kilo of coke (only 40% strength though, the wholesalers had been busy with the adulterants) to a wrap of resin that was too small for the police to bother analysing.

By the way, the kilo turned out to be 993 grams - you can't trust anyone these days, can you?

How about a drink-driver, disqualified for two years last autumn, who has since driven while disqualified three times, two of them while seriously pissed? He went to prison of course, but will he be deterred?

Don't ask me, I only work here.