Gloucester Woman Accused Of Supplying Cannabis Meditated To Shiva Nine Hours A Day
“AS a matter of law in the case of Ashley Chouings I have directed there is insufficient evidence for a properly directed jury to convict,” said Judge Alastair McGrigor at Gloucester Crown Court: “You will be directed to find him not guilty.”
In the dock were Katarzyna Dryden-Chouen and her husband Clive, of Litteldean. He told the court:
“I cultivate cannabis, I keep cannabis, I smoke cannabis, I enjoy cannabis – but I do not sell cannabis. I am not a cannabis dealer. I have cultivated enough for me to smoke, for my wife to smoke and for my wife to use for her religious sacraments. We produce more than we smoke so there is quite a lot of it in the house. I do not sell the excess.”
The couple also pleaded not guilty to money laundering £277,559 between June 1, 06 and August 1, 2012 and possession of £12,890 of cash in criminal property on July 6, 2012. And, indeed, they were found not guilty.
The Gloucester Citizen reports:
Gloucester Crown Court heard that when police busted her home, in her lounge was a shrine to the Hindu God of Shiva…The 46-year-old, who claimed in court to have a talking mouse, said she honestly believed the world would end last December and so had been growing it ahead of a ritual before that happened.
She maintained she did not realise it was illegal to grow and said she used to smoke it when she was meditating, which she did for up to nine hours a day.
One downside for the couple is that following the not guilty verdicts, Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs will investigate Clive for not paying tax on the cash. The other is that they admitted production of cannabis and will be sentenced for that at a later date.
That’s plenty to meditate on.
Posted: 12th, November 2013 | In: Reviews, Strange But True Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
