R v Ryan Cahill
[2024] EWCA Crim 756
R v Lorenc Mardeda
9 March 2023
[2023] EWCA Crim 310
Court of Appeal
A man was involved in a huge cannabis operation. He got 8 years in jail. He tried to appeal, but the judge said the sentence was fair because of how big the operation was and the man's role in it.
Key Facts
- •Lorenc Mardeda pleaded guilty to production of cannabis and was convicted of two counts of conspiracy: conspiracy to produce cannabis and conspiracy to supply cannabis.
- •He was involved in a national network of cannabis factories run by an organised criminal group.
- •The group used false identity documents to facilitate illegal entry into the UK and obtain premises for the factories.
- •The operation involved seven or eight premises, producing 170 kilos of cannabis with a street value of about two million pounds.
- •Mardeda had a significant role in the operation, though not a leading role.
- •He was sentenced to eight years' imprisonment.
Legal Principles
Outcomes
The renewed application for leave to appeal against sentence was refused.
The court found that the sentencing judge was uniquely well-placed to assess Mardeda's role, considering the scale of the operation and his deep involvement. The eight-year sentence was deemed just and proportionate, reflecting the aggravating and mitigating factors.