DOORMAN CLEARED IN DRUGS TRIAL

A doorman has been found not guilty of allowing people to smoke marijuana at
a cafe. Jurors at Chichester Crown Court yesterday took 20 minutes to clear
Michael Allday, 37, of two charges related to cannabis use at Quantum Leaf
in Worthing.

The court had heard how cannabis campaigner Chris Baldwin wanted to prove
the benefits of a Dutch-style cannabis cafe in England and set up Quantum
Leaf in the back room of his marijuana paraphernalia shop, Bongchuffa, in
Rowlands Road. Police raided the store on November 27, 2002.

Mr Allday, of Leconfield Road, Lancing, Baldwin, 52, of Carnegie Close,
Worthing, Winston Matthews, 46, of Court Lodge Road, Horley and Mark Benson,
37, of Irene Avenue, Lancing, were charged with a number of drug-related
offences. Baldwin and Benson have admitted permitting cannabis to be smoked
at a property and Matthews has admitted possessing cannabis with intent to
supply. Mr Allday said, being a doorman, he was nothing to do with running
Bongchuffa and denied charges of allowing cannabis and cannabis resin to be
smoked at the cafe. Francis Lloyd, prosecuting, said the raid resulted in an
estimated UKP 2,000 worth of cannabis and UKP 4,000 in cash being seized.

He said: "Mr Allday said to police he was employed for security and was
nothing to do with the actual cafe.

"Clearly he had some role, when police asked him about the safe in Cafe
trial doorman cleared the cafe he was able to open it.

"He was not interviewed by police on November 27 but on January 15, 2003.
"He said, 'I'm a security consultant. I was checking things out, making sure
we did not get people you don't want in there - criminals, lunatics, drunks,
drug addicts'." Jeremy Wainwright, defending, said: "Being the muscle does
not mean 'concerned in the management'. He says he was there to stand on the
door and look the part. He did stand there and looked the part but he did
not manage it." After the hearing, Mr Allday said: "I have got faith in
British justice." Baldwin, Benson and Matthews will appear at Chichester
Crown Court on January 9 for sentencing.