A KIDDERMINSTER man tried to smuggle cannabis resin into prison out of a misguided sense of loyalty to his brother, Worcester Crown Court heard.
Michaelangelo Maffei was spotted on CCTV cameras at Blakenhurst, near Redditch, as he passed the drug in a crisp bag, said Jane Sarginson, prosecuting.
He told police he was answering a plea for help from his brother Mario, who was serving a sentence.
Maffei, 24, of George Street, Kidderminster, admitted supplying the drug but escaped custody in what Judge Michael Mott termed an "exceptional" sentence.
A qualified joiner and carpenter, he was ordered to do 200 hours unpaid work for the community and to pay £176 costs. The judge said trying to smuggle drugs into prison normally merited custody in terms of months, if not years.
Lee Masters, defending, said the case was a tragedy for a young man who had hitherto led a blameless life. His parish priest had given him a glowing reference. Maffei had given invaluable help to a relative suffering from clinical depression to prevent him committing suicide.
In a moment of stupidity, he had acceded to his brother's request for cannabis in misguided family loyalty.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article