Key Facts
- •Miles Cracknell convicted of conspiracy to supply cocaine, conspiracy to supply cannabis, and possession of criminal property.
- •Sentenced to 15 years for cocaine conspiracy, 3.5 years consecutively for cannabis conspiracy (total 18.5 years), and 4 years concurrently for possession of criminal property.
- •Appealed conviction on grounds of 'no case to answer' and improper admission of prior conviction evidence.
- •Appealed sentence on grounds of incorrect role assessment and disproportionate consecutive sentencing.
Legal Principles
Test for 'no case to answer': Whether enough evidence, at its highest, for a reasonable jury to infer guilt (R v Wassab Khan [2013] EWCA Crim 1345).
R v Wassab Khan [2013] EWCA Crim 1345
Admissibility of bad character evidence (R v Hanson [2005] EWCA Crim 824): Relevance to an important matter in issue.
R v Hanson [2005] EWCA Crim 824
Sentencing guidelines for drug trafficking conspiracies: Consideration of role (leading vs. significant), quantity of drugs, and aggravating/mitigating factors.
Sentencing Guidelines (implied)
Outcomes
Appeal against conviction refused.
Judge correctly applied the 'no case to answer' test; evidence, including telephone data, was sufficient for a jury to consider. Admission of prior conviction was also held to be appropriate under R v Hanson.
Appeal against sentence refused.
Judge's assessment of Cracknell's leading role was justified; sentence was within guidelines and proportionate, considering totality of offences.