A MAN who campaigned for Chester's homeless community has been jailed for 18 months for supplying spice to them.

Judge Steven Everett, honorary recorder of Chester, said he had "no doubt" that Wayne Lammond, 35, himself of no fixed abode, had been supplying the class B drug to "at least some" vulnerable people at the Hamilton House homeless hub in Chester city centre for "financial gain".

Lammond initially said the spice was all for personal use, but pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply spice before his plea and trial preparation hearing at Chester Crown Court.

Jailing him for 18 months at Chester Crown Court on Friday, April 3, Judge Everett said: "I tell you now; despite the very eloquent submissions made on your behalf, you are something of a hypocrite in that regard and you need to take a long, hard look at your approach."

As well as the jail term, Lammond was banned from entering Chester city centre for three years.

Prosecuting, Mandy Nepal said it was at noon on Monday, September 23, 2019 when officers patrolling on Clifton Drive, Blacon, identified Lammond on the pathway that links Clifton Drive with the Asda superstore at the Greyhound Retail Park.

The court heard the area was known for drug activity.

Lammond was asked if he had any drugs on him and he produced a small bag containing spice. He was searched and a second, larger bag also containing spice was found.

When interviewed, Lammond said the drugs – collectively weighing 134.1g and with a street value of £1,300 – were for personal use.

Also found on Lammond was £175.13 in cash and a mobile phone which, when analysed, contained messages related to drug activity including pick-up points.

Lammond confirmed the phone was his and said he spent about £20-30 a day on spice.

He had 12 convictions for 21 previous offences, including seven previous drug offences.

They included burglary, attempted robbery, possession with intent to supply cocaine and heroin and aggravated vehicle taking.

In 2010, his most serious sentence was for possession of an imitation gun, attempted robbery and assault, for which he received an intermediate sentence at Preston Crown Court, reduced to 64 months on appeal.

He had since been convicted of possession of cocaine, heroin, spice and cannabis, plus one offence of battery.

The prosecution also wished to proceed with all aspects of a proposed police criminal behaviour order (CBO), which would ban Lammond from the city centre, prevent him from making contact with one of his associates, ban him from entering buildings without the owner's permission and make him subject to an integrated offender management programme.

Judge Everett dismissed two of those aspects and said he was minded to proceed with the city centre ban and integrated offender management programme.

Philip Clemo, defending, said Lammond was willing to go on the programme as it would address his long-standing, "crippling" drug addiction issues.

Lammond had been "a thorn in the side" of the establishment and, during the time he had been spokesman for the homeless community during several squat takeovers of Chester city buildings, he had been regularly searched by police.

It was only on one occasion that he was found with drugs, and Lammond himself had called the police when other members of the homeless community were taking class A drugs at one of the squats.

He was not a drugs "kingpin", Mr Clemo added.

Judge Everett noted that a number of positive references were made on behalf of Lammond, including from Cheshire West and Chester councillor Matt Bryan, who called Lammond "an activist for housing justice".

But Judge Everett added: "He will have to understand that as a champion about housing justice, for someone who is more than happy to sell spice to the homeless, makes him look a hypocrite. I am going to make sure that this behaviour is stopped."

Mr Clemo added of Lammond: "He is not a man who is homeless for the fun of it, nor is anyone. He is a man who has had issues. To his credit he has been off spice for a couple of months; at the time of the offence he was using it quite heavily.

"The drugs were to support himself during this period of homelessness."

Mr Clemo added Lammond had had two family tragedies which had made for a difficult time growing up.

He suggested a suspended sentence with a community order, to feature the maximum number of days of a rehabilitation activity requirement, would be a suitable sentence to allow Lammond to seek the support he needed for his drug addiction issues.

Before sentencing him, Judge Everett told Lammond any previous comments he had made in the media as a spokesman for the homeless during the squats would not have any effect on the sentence; they were irrelevant and he would only be sentenced for what he had done.

But he said "the message must go out" that people who dealt drugs to vulnerable members of the public, such as homeless people in the city centre, should expect to receive an immediate custodial sentence.

"You have had a lot of chances and have been sent to prison on a number of occasions," he added.

"You have had a very difficult life, I am prepared to accept that. You had a difficult upbringing through no fault of your own, but you can't live off that forever and you have to put that behind you."

Lammond was jailed for 18 months and made subject to the three-year CBO.

He must not enter Chester city centre, through a pre-determined area, except to gain access to his registered medical practice, the DWP, or to court. He must also comply with the integrated offender management programme.

The spice and mobile phone were to be forfeited and destroyed, while the money was forfeited.