Skunk cannabis factory: Scunthorpe man jailed

A MAN has been jailed after a cannabis factory was discovered at his Scunthorpe house.

Krzsysztof Kocurek, 29, of Frodingham Road, admitted growing around 40 cannabis plants at an address in Grosvenor Street in the town, which he was not living at.

The plants were capable of producing a yield of up to 1.8kg of powerful skunk cannabis, Grimsby Crown Court heard.

Prosecuting, Gordon Stables said police went to the house at around 12.50pm on March 4 in a bid to locate and arrest a wanted man.

He said: "Once inside, they noticed a very strong smell of cannabis. They discovered two of the first-floor bedrooms were being used for growing cannabis plants."

Mr Stables said police found around 20 plants in each of the bedrooms which were at varying stages of maturity.

He also said the electricity supply had been tampered with and artificial sodium lights, fans, electric timers and extraction pipes had been installed.

Mr Stables said Kocurek arrived at the house at around 5.15pm and told officers: "I know you are looking for me, it's my cannabis."

He was arrested and interviewed and admitted growing the plants but said the drugs were for his own personal use.

He later said he would give the surplus amount away to friends but claimed he was not producing cannabis to sell.

Mitigating, Craig Lowe said Kocurek was "realistic as to what is likely to happen to him".

He said Kocurek had made admissions to the police in his interview and had pleaded guilty at the first opportunity.

Mr Lowe also said Kocurek had been in the UK since 2011 after coming to the country to work and had no previous convictions.

He said: "It is clear from the pre-sentence report that he accepts full responsibility for his actions. He accepts he would have given cannabis to others on the basis he would not be able to consume it all himself."

Mr Lowe also said Kocurek, who got work through agencies, stood to lose his job and accommodation if given an immediate prison sentence.

Sentencing, Recorder Abdul Iqbal QC said he did not believe Kocurek was not intending to sell the drugs.

He said: "This cannabis is estimated to yield 1.8kg of skunk cannabis.

"That is a powerful form of the drug and only a fraction of that could be yours to use yourself, so I conclude there was a financial motive in this growth."

Kocurek was jailed for 10 months and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £100.

http://www.scunthorpetelegraph.co.uk/Man-jailed-growing-40-cannabis-plants/story-22127984-detail/story.html 10/08/2014