Drug Dealing Brothers Who Avoided Jail Are Put Behind Bars After Facebook Abuse Of Judge
Two drug dealing brothers who had previously avoided jail sentences have been put behind bars after they abused the judge on Facebook.
Daniel Sledden, 27, and his brother Samuel (pictured), 22, from Accrington, Lancashire, gloated on Facebook at the beginning of this month after they were handed down suspended sentences for drug offences at Burnley Crown Court.
But the pair were hauled back to court today because they celebrated the earlier verdicts by making abusive posts on Facebook against the judge in their case.
The pair were given two-year jail sentences that were suspended for two years in court on February 3 after they both pleaded guilty to supplying cannabis.
Within 90 minutes of sentencing, Daniel Sledden mocked Judge Beverley Lunt on Facebook.
He posted: “Cannot believe my luck 2 year suspended sentance (sic) beats the 3 year jail yes pal! Beverly [sic] Lunt go suck my ****”.
His younger brother Samuel posted an offensive comment barely 40 minutes after he walked free.
He wrote: “What a day it’s been Burnley crown court! Up ur **** aha nice 2 year suspended”.
When they were recalled to court today, Judge Lunt remanded the pair in custody as she was not prepared to grant them bail.
The review of the case was postponed until February 26 so the full transcript of the sentencing remarks could be reviewed to assess the two men’s prior expressions of remorse. The pair had written letters of apology.
The judge said remorse was “a vital component” when considering sentencing, but that the length of the original two-year jail terms was not wrong.
She said: “It is the issue of suspension. Would I have done so had I appreciated, as I do now, their true views and what they really thought of the court proceedings.”
Judge Lunt didn’t read the Facebook messages out in court because she said they contained “offensive sexual elements”.
She said the Facebook messages did not amount to a contempt of court because the hearing had concluded.
The Sleddens and their father, William, 45, who also received a suspended jail sentence, had all admitted dealing cannabis from the family home in Hopwood Street between May and September 2014.
(Picture: Sam Sledden/Facebook)
