Drugs in loft: Derbyshire man Scott Lewendon grew cannabis to pay off sick dad's debts  

A 41-YEAR-OLD man grew cannabis in his father's loft to help his elderly and ill father pay off debts.

Scott Lewendon, who admitted the offence, told police his father had remortgaged his house because his sister wanted to buy a narrowboat and was now facing substantial debt.

Derby Crown Court heard that his 80-year-old father was in poor health and Lewendon was being treated for mental health problems.

Handing Lewendon, of Godfrey Drive, Kirk Hallam, an eight-month jail sentence, suspended for a year, Judge Jonathan Gosling said: "It was to take your father away on holiday and to meet some of the debts your family has accrued."

Alex Wolfson, prosecuting, said police visited the house in Godfrey Drive, Kirk Hallam, on November 29 in relation to another matter. When officers searched the property they came across 22 cannabis plants in the loft, with specialist growing equipment such as lights and extraction fans.

He said the yield was estimated to be just below 1kg and worth about £10,000.

Mr Wolfson said: "He did co-operate with the police. He made full admissions in interview and said he wanted to treat his father who had been particularly ill."

Jasmine Kumar, in mitigation, said Lewendon's father and sister had remortgaged the family home some years ago so that his sister could buy a narrowboat.

Miss Kumar said: "[The father] got into difficulties repaying the mortgage and got into arrears. Mr Lewendon, wanting to help his father, set up the cannabis grow.

"In essence, he has committed the offence to aid his father, who is 80 years old and has suffered two strokes fairly recently and is not in good health."

Miss Kumar said Lewendon realised that what he had done was wrong and felt bad about how it would affect his family.

She said: "He has had long-term difficulties with his emotional and mental health."

Miss Kumar said the cannabis plants had been due to be harvested about three weeks after the raid and there had been no previous grows. She said Lewendon was now also in debt to the people from whom he had bought the growing equipment.

Lewendon admitted producing cannabis and abstracting electricity. He was told he would be supervised by the probation service and must pay an £80 government surcharge.

http://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk 6/3/2014