A father has been jailed after police found more than 80 cannabis plants growing at the back of his home near Carlisle.
Hugh Thomas Martin Christie, 48, was using some of the money from the drugs sold to help put his child through university, Carlisle Crown Court heard.
Eighty-one plants were found at his Fulwood House home in Burgh-by-Sands which could have been worth up to £11,314.
Defence barrister Alison Whalley told the court that the defendant had begun to grow the drug for his own personal use, and had never sold any on the street. She said: “I’m not sure this can be classed as a large scale or commercial operation. He was only supplying his friends, people he knew.”
At an earlier hearing at magistrates’ court, Christie admitted charges of producing cannabis, supplying cannabis, possession of cannabis with intent to supply, possession of cannabis, possession of ecstasy and abstracting electricity.
Christie had admitted the charges at his first opportunity, and had told police about the scale of his operation, and that he had intended to grow more over the winter months to supplement his income.
He sold some of the drugs to friends for between £80 and £100 per ounce – much less than its street value.
Sentencing Christie, Recorder Grundy said: “I accept that you are not a large scale manager or producer, but you are nonetheless a producer of cannabis which was in my judgement professional.“
Christie was jailed for 16 months and will also face a hearing under the Proceeds of Crime Act, which will take place in November.
Source: http://www.newsandstar.co.uk
