May 6, 2021 12.17 pm This story is over 34 months old

Lincoln’s mail order cannabis man given final jail ultimatum

Post office staff could smell the high demand suspicious goods
| Photo: Adobe Stock

A Lincoln man who returned to selling cannabis by post has been given a last chance to avoid going back to prison.

George Holmes, 48, was jailed for two years in 2016 after he was caught despatching vacuum sealed bags from post offices in North Hykeham and the south of Lincoln.

Holmes, who was then living at an address in Victoria Street, Bracebridge, was traced after sending out packages from Swanpool post office and then being spotted using a nearby cash machine.

Lincoln Crown Court heard at that time Holmes was such a prolific customer at a post office in Hykeham that staff openly referred to him as “the cannabis man” as they could smell the contents of his parcels.

Subsequent investigations revealed that customers were making regular payments directly into his bank account and concealing the transaction under the heading of computer repairs.

Holmes was jailed for 24 months for the drugs offences in March 2016 but again came to the attention of the authorities in the Summer of 2019.

Caroline Bradley, prosecuting, said: “On July 19, 2019 the post office reported to the police that they had intercepted 18 packages which they suspected to contain cannabis.”

Miss Bradley told the court eleven packages containing cannabis were recovered during the investigation and police searched Holmes’ flat.

“There was some organisation in this case,” Miss Bradley added.

During his police interview Holmes denied supplying drugs and claimed that no-one else had been in his flat for several months.

However Holmes, now of St Rumbold Street, Lincoln, later pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of cannabis.

The court heard Holmes was now free of his previous heroin addiction and had been making great progress for four months since moving to a settled address at the YMCA.

Neil Sands, mitigating, told the court: “They regard him as a model tenant.”

Recorder Michael Auty QC told Holmes: “You were going back to what you did in 2016.”

The Recorder agreed to defer sentence on Holmes for six months but warned him that he would return to jail if he did not stay clean or committed any other offences.

Recorder Auty added: “You have been to jail, and jail did not cure you.”

Holmes agreed to sentence being deferred for six months. Mr Sands added: “He would like the chance to prove he can be a model citizen.”