Our Mr Michal Mantaj, Trial Advocate and Accredited Specialist in Criminal Law, appeared for a client charged with cultivating $165,000 worth of cannabis plants in his home using a hydroponics set-up. The maximum penalty for this offence is 10 years imprisonment. It is important to note that the Courts treat drug offences very seriously due to the harm that drugs cause to the wider community, particularly in this instance when a total of thirty-four plants were located.
During the proceedings, our client committed to improving his mental health and successfully completed the Magistrates Early Referral Into Treatment (‘MERIT’) Program. By obtaining a psychological report and outlining to the Court how our client’s mental health was directly related to the offending, Mr Mantaj successfully persuaded the Wyong Local Court to discharge the client from criminal charges on the basis of mental health grounds.
This was a fantastic result for our client who is now able to focus on receiving appropriate treatment for his mental health.
