Two brothers who were spared jail after a female judge gave them two years suspended sentence for drug dealing will now serve out their sentences for going on Facebook to mock the judge over her leniency, forty minutes after they left the court.
Daniel and Samuel Sledden, 27 and 22 respectively, from Accrington, Lancashire, were convicted of dealing in cannabis after they admitted to being concerned in the supply of cannabis between May and September 2014.
The female judge, Beverly Lunt, on Friday sentenced them to two years in jail, and suspended the sentence, after considering the brothers had shown contrition, readily admitted their guilt and had gained gainful employment since committing the offence.
Forty minutes after leaving the court premises, the brothers went on Facebook to post insulting messages directed at the court and the judge.
The elder of the two, Danied wrote: ‘Cannot believe my luck 2 year suspended sentance (sic) beats the 3 year jail yes pal! Beverly [sic] Lunt go suck my ****’.
His brother soon followed suit, saying: ‘What a day it’s been Burnley crown court! Up ur **** aha nice 2 year suspended…’
They were re-arrested after someone showed the judge the Facebook posts.
Judge Lunt immediately proceeded on a sentence review, ordering that they serve out their initial two-year sentences for deceiving the court about their show of contrition.
She said: “The question I have to ask myself is this, if I had not known their real feelings at being in court would I have accepted their remorse and contrition, and suspended the sentence. And the answer is of course not.
“Each of the posts indicate they have not changed at all. They have not taken on board anything or learned any responsibility.”
She noted that the Facebook posts contained “offensive and sexual content directed at me as a judge, and also as a woman judge”.
Judge Lunt added: “These were not private entries in a diary. They were placed on Facebook with the intention that others should and would read them, and if they wished, would share them. So it was a limitless audience.
“Their content is clearly indicative of how they really felt about appearing in court for this particular offence. Their tenor was boastful and jeering and the only reasonable inference was, they thought they had somehow fooled and misled the court.”