Oxford student jailed for 2 years after entering festival to deal Class A drugs

New College Oxford student arrested after he entered Shambala festival with a bag full of drugs with the intent to supply…


Oxford University student Felix Reade has been sentenced to two years in prison for drugs offences.

The New College English student was found to be in possession of the substances at a summer festival, along with his friend Alexander ‘Sasha’ Stubbs from the University of Chicago.

The pair were attending the Shambala Festival in Northamptonshire in August 2012 when the substances were discovered by security and the men were arrested.

Shambala describes itself as “a playground, a realm for wild experimentation”.

Reade, left, and Stubbs, right, were sentenced to 2 years each…

Police subsequently carried out a raid on the pair’s London addresses. Cannabis, MDMA, morphine, sedatives, hallucinogenic and psychedelic drugs were found, along with drugs-related paraphenalia.

The friends, who attended the £30,000 a year Westminster School together, were tried at Northampton Crown Court on 19th July and found guilty of possessing Class A, B and C drugs with intent to supply.

Reade and Stubbs were sentenced to two years and two and half years respectively.

Oxford’s Walter White … Reade was found guilty of possessing Class A, B and C drugs…

Reade is understood to have been allowed to remain at the college following his initial arrest. However, his future at the college is uncertain since his sentencing last month.

Whilst the college has refused to comment on individual cases, their policy on drugs states, that “Junior Members who become involved in consuming, manufacturing, passing to others or selling hard drugs… must expect to be expelled from the College”.

Detective Constable Nick Coe who works with the organised crime and drugs team suggested that whilst this is a ‘strong sentence for these two young men who had no prior convictions’, he hoped it would send a ‘message’ to other young people and festival go-ers this summer.