Manselton man grew cannabis after racking up drugs debt
A MAN turned his home into a sophisticated cannabis factory, a court heard.
A MAN turned his home into a sophisticated cannabis factory, a court heard.
Gavin McKnight, aged 33, turned his home at Monterey Street in Manselton into a drugs farm housing 25 plants which could have been worth up to £9,000.
Prosecutor James Hartson told Swansea Crown Court that police searched his home on August 14.
Inside they found a room downstairs, where 10 plants were found, and one upstairs, where 15 plants were growing.
The plants which had grown to between 3ft and 5ft and were being helped by high-powered lights and fans.
Mr Hartson said the drugs had a value of between £3,000 and £9,000 depending on how they could be sold. He accepted the prosecution did not say he was dealing and asked him to be sentenced for cultivating the drugs for his own use.
He said he had racked up a debt of £10,000 to dealers and wanted to cut out the middle man.
Mark Davies, for McKnight, said he accepted his client had been growing the drugs in a sophisticated set up but it was for his own use and aimed at reducing his reliance on dealers.
"This was not a simple situation where he had a couple of tubs and he would water them," he said.
Mr Davies said when his client was interviewed by police he had co-operated with police and admitted he was responsible.
Recorder Paul Lewis said although it was a sophisticated operation, there was no evidence he had illegally taken electricity to grow the plants.
He said he also accepted that the drugs were for his own use.
He told McKnight: "I have come to the view it's possible, just, to suspend the operation of this sentence."
He gave McKnight an eight month sentence suspended for two
http://www.southwales-eveningpost.co.uk 20/01/2014
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