Cannabis user grew £3.8k drug crop in loft of Longton home

A FIFTY-YEAR-OLD cannabis user who grew the drug in his loft has been fined £3,000.

Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard Andrew Walters immediately told officers there was cannabis growing in his loft when police executed a search warrant at his home in Paragon Court, Longton.

The officers arrested Walters and went on to find 21 plants at the property.

Prosecutor Fiona Cortese said: "There was a high intensity lamp on the ceiling, a ventilation system, transformer units and a timer."

The court heard two of the plants were sent away to be analysed.

Scientists estimated the yield of the crop would have been 777 grams or 27.5 ounces of cannabis vegetation, with a potential street value of £3,850.

In his police interview, Walters said he was solely responsible for setting up the production of the cannabis plants in the loft.

He said he did it due to losing his job and the cost of buying the drug.

The offender said he used one ounce a week and added he intended to freeze some of the harvested crop.

Walters, of Cranwell Place, Meir, pleaded guilty to producing a class B drug on March 1, 2012 and failing to surrender to custody on October 5.

The court heard he was arrested on March 4 this year when he returned to the UK.

Walters told police he did not surrender in October as he had been re-bailed a number of times and was offered a job in Australia.

He added he had intended to hand himself in on his return to this country.

Rob Holt, mitigating, said Walters has a well-paid job in Australia and is due to return there within the week.

Judge David Fletcher described the offence as a 'lesser role' case and said he could 'just about deal with it by the imposition of a financial penalty'.

He fined Walters £3,000 and ordered him to pay £345 court costs.

Judge Fletcher told Walters: "For someone of your age it was an extremely foolish thing to get involved in.

"The long-term effect could have catastrophic.

"You have really good employment in Australia and that could have all come crashing down as a result of this behaviour."

The judge also ordered the destruction of the plants and the paraphernalia used to grow them.

http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk 26/04/2013