Ilfracombe cannabis grower literally sniffed out by police
Felix had his case heard at Exeter Crown Court
Felix had his case heard at Exeter Crown Court
A cannabis grower was quite literally sniffed out by police who followed their noses to track down a strong smell of drugs in Ilfracombe.
The grower claimed to get through an ounce a day and a Judge told him he must have had smoke coming out of his ears.
Michael Felix’s claims about how much he consumed would have had to be far beyond anything known in the scientific literature on the subject, Exeter Crown Court was told.
Felix was found with a total of 98 plants at his home in Ilfracombe after police investigated a strong smell of ‘skunk’ near his home in Springfield Road
He had half a kilogram of cannabis worth £4,000 from a previous crop and police experts estimated the growing plants could have produced drugs worth £16,000 on the street.
Felix, aged 59, of Springfield Road, Ilfracombe, admitted producing cannabis. The prosecution dropped dealing charges after finding no evidence he supplied anyone else.
He was jailed for 20 months, suspended for two years and ordered to do 200 hours unpaid community work by Judge Phillip Wassall.
He told him:”If you had smoked all of this you would have had smoke coming out of your ears. The report from your own expert says the amount you grew would take a normal user three years to get through and a heavy user nine months.
“You stated you used over an ounce a day and that is said to be a level which is outside the any amount known in the scientific literature.
“I accept it was your intention to grow for personal use but you were growing more than you could possibly have smoked and there was a risk some would find its way onto the market one way or another.”
Mr Brian Fitzherbert, prosecuting, said a police officer walking through Ilfracombe smelled cannabis and traced it to Felix’s home.
He said:”Felix answered the food but closed his porch door before he did so but despite this attempt to conceal it, the smell was extremely strong.
“The house was searched and a room upstairs was found with numerous cannabis plants along with 316 grams of skunk cannabis and 350 grams of leaf.”
Mr Fitzherbert said there were 54 seedlings, 21 adult plants and 23 under 20 inches. A police drug liaison officer calculated the likely yield at 1.6 kilograms with a street value of £16,000. The dried cannabis was valued at around £4,000.
Mr Richard Crabb, defending, said a defence expert had analysed the evidence and disputed the police figures because they were based on a hydroponic operation with lights and heaters, while Felix’s plants were growing naturally in soil.
He said the likely crop would have been about half a kilo which Felix reckoned he would smoke in six weeks.
He said Felix has been smoking cannabis for many years but has now given up. He is an unemployed blacksmith who is living on benefits.
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