Grower had £19k worth of cannabis at his home in New Parks, Leicester
A cannabis grower who cultivated 17 plants worth about £19,000 at his home, has been given a suspended jail sentence.
A cannabis grower who cultivated 17 plants worth about £19,000 at his home, has been given a suspended jail sentence.
Robert Smith (29) refused to open his door to police with a search warrant, so they forced their way into his home in Aikman Close, New Parks, Leicester, on February 2.
Smith then complied by unlocking a bedroom door to reveal a sophisticated growing system with hydroponics, fans, transformers and lamps.
He had also bypassed the electricity meter, stealing £2,695 worth of power.
Alan Murphy, prosecuting, told Leicester Crown Court the potential yield from the 17 mature plants was about 3.3kg.
He said: "It was a small, commercial cannabis growing operation."
Smith, who later moved to Eastfield Road, Western Park, Leicester, admitted producing cannabis, a class B drug, and abstracting electricity.
He was given a 10-month jail sentence, suspended for two years.
He was also ordered to do 200 hours of unpaid work.
Sentencing, Judge Lynn Tayton QC, said: "The Crown accepts your basis of plea, that you were a heavy user of cannabis since the age of 16 and you originally grew the plants for your own use.
"You did not appreciate how much would be produced.
"Once you realised it was too much for personal use, you thought you would have to sell some on. At the time of your arrest it's accepted you hadn't cropped the plants or sold any of it.
"You lost the tenancy on your home but now have other accommodation."
Isabel Wilson, mitigating, said: "He found the cannabis was expensive to buy so he researched how to grow it.
"He had no idea of the amount that was going to be produced.
"He realised he would have had to sell some of it, to get rid of it, because it wasn't possible to have smoked all of it himself.
"He accepts the 'grow' got out of hand.
"His consumption has significantly reduced since his arrest.
"He's in employment and his partner is expecting a baby in December."
http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/Grower-pound-19k-worth-cannabis/story-21643185-detail/story.html 16/07/2014