SON'S DRUG TERM 'OVER THE TOP'

THE father of a Corby man jailed in Cyprus for flouting the country's tough
anti-drugs laws has spoken out in his defence.

As reported in yesterday's ET, Michael Quarrinton, 30, was jailed for 70
days at a court in Ayia Napa after admitting importing and possessing 12g
of cannabis.

His friend Adam Colgate, 36, of Lindisfarne Road, Corby, received 35 days
for bringing 4g of cannabis and two ecstasy pills into the country.

Quarrinton's father, also called Michael Quarrinton, 54, of Whitworth
Avenue, Corby, refused to say where his son lives.

He said he felt the sentence was over the top.

He said: "He's gone abroad with the intention of having a good time and it
has come as a shock to him that there is zero tolerance of drugs in Cyprus."

"You hear of British holidaymakers, young lads and girls going to places
like Spain, getting outrageously drunk and causing mayhem."

"But Michael doesn't drink, so his plan, somewhat naively, was to take the
drugs into Cyprus so he could enjoy himself.

"He was smoking cannabis, which is illegal, but millions of people in this
country, doctors, lawyers, even schoolteachers smoke it to relieve the
pressures of the working day and are no threat to anyone."

Home Secretary David Blunkett this year revealed plans to downgrade
cannabis from a Class B to a Class C drug. In Cyprus it is still a Class B
drug. Mr Quarrinton said people going abroad should remember that other
countries were not as tolerant.

Two other men from Corby also admitted possession of drugs and were fined.

Robert McGrady, 28, admitted possessing 9.4g of cannabis and Stephen
Hancock, 26, admitted possessing 2.5g of cocaine. They were fined about
AUKP2,500 each.