Asylum seeker spared jail after being caught with drugs while running from Bibby Stockholm

An asylum seeker who fled the Bibby Stockholm barge has avoided jail after being convicted of possessing drugs for a second time. Kenson Noel, 30, was handed a conditional discharge after admitting to cannabis possession at Poole Magistrates' Court in Dorset.

Noel, who arrived in the UK from Trinidad and Tobago claiming he was fleeing gangs, was placed on the Bibby Stockholm in Portland, Dorset, in May last year. But when he arrived, he was found with 6.5g of cannabis, a set of scales, plastic bags, and £800 in cash. As he was being arrested, he bit a Portland Port police officer on the elbow.

He was later convicted of possessing cannabis but failed to attend his sentencing hearing, prompting a warrant for his arrest. He was ultimately given a community service order, which he then breached by failing to show up for it.

Noel, now living at a migrant hotel in Bournemouth, was arrested again on June 5 after being found with cannabis in the town.

Charles Nightingale, prosecuting, said: "Police were dealing with something separate and the defendant was present at the scene. This led to him being spoken to and then arrested. During the arrest they found a small quantity of cannabis, entirely consistent with personal use."

Megan McGhee, defending, said: "He is an asylum seeker, from Trinidad and Tobago. He gets £8.50 a week and [is] provided with food. He is hoping to make an application to begin work but he has very limited means. I'm hoping his time in custody could be taken into account."

District Judge Orla Austin ruled that it would not be worth issuing a fine.

She told Noel: "You receive £8 per week, given that it seems to me there is no point fining you as you lack the means to pay."
She added: "It seems more money would be spent on enforcing it than could be recovered."

The Bibby Stockholm barge, which arrived in Portland Port in July 2023, was used to house up to 500 asylum seekers while their claims were processed.

The facility was shut down after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer confirmed its closure after Labour's general election victory.

The barge left Portland in January and has since exited the UK.