Man's 'dead body' joke backfires as police raid home and make illegal discovery

19 February 2024 , 14:42

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Police were called to a domestic disturbance at Miller's home but found him there alone (Image: Google)

A joke about a dead body led police searching a structural engineer's home, where they found £1,600 worth of drugs.

Officers were initially called to a 'domestic disturbance' at the property but found a man living alone. However, when he joked that there 'wasn't a dead body in the house', police decided to search the property in Leicester and discovered his large stash of cannabis.

The resident, 43-year-old structural engineer David Miller, told the officers that the 211g of cannabis, which had a street value of up to £1,600, was all for his personal use. He explained that he bought in bulk because he didn't like going out regularly to buy from dealers.

The Crown Prosecution Service accepted this explanation and dropped a charge of possession with intent to supply, reports Leicestershire Live. At Leicester Magistrates' Court on Friday, Miller, of in Avenue Road Extension, admitted to the lesser charge of possessing class B drugs for his own use.

The court heard that the police had received the call about a disturbance on Saturday, September 9, last year. Prosecutor Richard Holt told the magistrates: "He made a glib comment, saying 'You won't find a body here'."

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"They found 211g of cannabis in a first floor bedroom. He was arrested and interviewed and said he had been using cannabis for 30 years and smoked it every day. He said he had paid £700 for the cannabis and bought in bulk because it was easier."

Abigail Wright, who was speaking for Miller, told the court he was "extremely remorseful". She explained: "There was no domestic disturbance - Mr Miller is single and lives alone.

"He made the comment trying to make light of the police being there. He said he uses cannabis to relax and unwind, like some people have a few glasses of wine. Unfortunately, cannabis is illegal.

"He bought the cannabis in bulk with the expectation of it lasting seven months. The police officers commented on the poor quality of the cannabis and the poor storage. He was buying in bulk because he didn't want to be going out buying cannabis from street dealers. He's not that kind of person."

She mentioned that the police would usually just give a warning for having cannabis, but they couldn't this time because he had so much. Miller had to pay a fine of £469, plus £85 for court costs and a £188 victim surcharge.

Rom Preston-Ellis