Cannabis addict grew drug in family home
Simon Linsell outside North Devon Magistrates Court.
Simon Linsell outside North Devon Magistrates Court.
A SELF-CONFESSED cannabis addict called for the legalisation of the drug after police arrested him for attempting to grow it in his own home, a court has heard.
Simon Linsell, 40, who now lives in Longdown, near Exeter, pleaded guilty to producing the Class B drug when he appeared at North Devon Magistrates' Court on Friday.
It comes after police discovered more than half-a-dozen plants growing in his loft and greenhouse when they visited his former address at Shillingford, near Tiverton, in March.
Lyndsey Baker, for the prosecution, said during a police interview in September, Linsell "explained that he was a cannabis addict and he used to commit crime," and now the police had taken the plants away he would return to committing crimes again.
Mrs Baker added: "He went on to make various political statements about the legalisation of cannabis and said it would be their fault that he committed the crimes."
However, Lawrence Overend, for the defence, said Linsell had no intention to commit any crimes.
He went on to explain to the court that when Linsell was younger he suffered from an addiction to alcohol, which would find him trouble with the police.
He said: "Recognising that there was an issue he gave up and continues to abstain from alcohol. But what he did was to engage occasionally with the use of cannabis.
"Added to that Mr Linsell was the victim in a car accident from which he still suffers pretty chronic back pain and he finds that the use of cannabis alleviates the pain from which he suffers.
"Rather than purchase it from more questionable sources which may be involved in more serious crime, he decided to grow it himself."
Magistrates decided to fine Linsell £180, and ordered him to pay costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £20.
http://www.northdevonjournal.co.uk/Cannabis-addict-grew-drug-family-home/story-23010899-detail/story.html 28/09/2014
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Soft Secrets
