Judge warns of cannabis growers in export trade

A judge warned that the problem of people growing cannabis in their own homes was so prevalent it was now being exported to countries which once supplied the UK

The comments were made as out-of-work electrician Steven Westmoreland appeared in court after wiring up a cannabis factory in his Leeds home.

Westmoreland, 51, was arrested after police searched his home on Ivy Crescent in November 2010 and found 20 plants in one of the bedrooms. Heating, lighting and fume extraction had also been set up.

Leeds Crown Court heard the estimated yield of the plants was around 800 grammes, worth up to £4,000.

Westmoreland pleaded guilty to production of cannabis. He said his wife had no idea that the plants were in the property,

James Lake, for Westmoreland, said his client had no previous convictions and had made full admissions to the police about the offence. Mr Lake said Westmoreland had worked hard all his life up until losing his job in November last year.

He said: “At the time he was unemployed, his wife was extremely ill and his young daughter became pregnant. He accepts that he wasn’t thinking straight.”

He added: “He said he paid £200 for the equipment. Because of his trade as an electrician he was able to get the equipment at a discount rate and able to use his knowledge within the profession to set it up.”

The barrister said Westmoreland was back in employment and his family would suffer if he went to jail.

Judge Kerry Macgill told Westmoreland: “What these courts find is that there is a cottage industry. We are also getting to the stage where we are exporting it to the places where we were importing it from.

“The message must go out to people like you that if you organise yourself into this you would normally go to prison.”

Judge Macgill said he was able to suspend the prison sentence as Westmoreland had no previous convictions. The eight-month sentence was suspended for two years. He was ordered to do 220 hours unpaid work and pay £1,200 court costs.