Lakenheath man who grew cannabis fights court order to seize his assets
Keith Jones, 57, was jailed for two years in May after pleading guilty to production of a controlled drug at his home in Barr Drive.
Keith Jones, 57, was jailed for two years in May after pleading guilty to production of a controlled drug at his home in Barr Drive.
The court had heard how Jones planned to sell seeds from the crop of 411 plants to raise funds for legal action against the British government.
Jones had told the court that in 1994 he had been the victim of a fraud which the police had declined to investigate and since then had needed to "keep the wolf from the door" as he prepared to take legal action.
Today (Tuesday) Jones returned to Ipswich Crown Court where he told Ms Maureen Baker QC that he was challenging the amount the Crown Prosecution Service was attempting to seize from him.
When Jones was sentenced in May it was alleged that the cannabis crop found in a garage and two greenhouses at his home had a potential value of £57,000 although the actual sum was likely to have been nearer £28,000.
Jones told the hearing today (Tuesday) that he was disputing figures prepared by specialist financial investigators which set out the value of his offending and the extent of assets which could be seized to recoup that value.
Ms Recorder Baker told Jones, who represented himself, that she would adjourn the hearing, convened under the Proceeds of Crime Act, until October 13 to allow him to produce his own figures.
The next hearing is due to hear from Jones himself as well as witnesses who helped in the financial investigation.
Jones told the court that he was planning to lodge an appeal against his conviction at the Court of Appeal and asked if the Proceeds of Crime Act hearing could be postponed until that had taken place but Ms Recorder Baker said it was not possible
http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Lakenheath-man-grew-cannabis-fights-court-order-seize-assets/story-22821592-detail/story.html 19/08/2014
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Soft Secrets
