An appeals court has refused to increase the suspended prison sentence given to a Port Erin man caught dealing cocaine, despite granting the Attorney General leave to argue it was “unduly lenient”.
Robert James Quine, now 27, was arrested in June 2023 after being found with and later admitting possession of 17.7 grams of cocaine with intent to supply.
He was sentenced in September 2025 to two years’ custody, suspended for two years.
The Attorney General sought a review, arguing the sentence fell outside the range reasonably available to the sentencing Deemster.
The prosecution contended that applying the Caldwell-Camp guidelines should have led to a starting point of six years, not five, with a shorter reduction for mitigation.
In its judgment, the court noted the sentence was “undoubtedly lenient and arguably, on a strict application of Caldwell-Camp, it was unduly lenient.” It also found the two-year reduction for personal mitigation “arguably too generous”.
However, the three-judge panel highlighted exceptional circumstances including an “excessive” delay of over two years between Quine’s arrest and sentence, during which he had lived a “lawful productive life” and pursued rehabilitation.
A very positive probation report and a recent update from the Drug and Alcohol Unit were also considered.
The court concluded that while other judges might properly have imposed an immediate three-year term, it would not interfere.