Stafford cannabis grower spared jail
A man from Stafford who was caught growing cannabis in two rooms at his house has been spared an immediate jail term.
Police checked the home of Brett Adams after getting reports of a strong smell of cannabis in the area, Stafford Crown Court heard.
As soon as he opened the door and was asked about any drugs, Adams took the officers upstairs and showed them his growing rooms.
Mr Paul Farrow, prosecuting, said there were 12 plants in each room under a full scale hydroponic cultivation system, each of the plants with its own light.
The defendant also confessed that the electricity to the two rooms had been bypassed whilst the rest of the property was still being metered.
The plants were a couple of weeks away from maturity, producing a crop of 1.65 kilos which, if sold in street deals, could have brought in up to £16,500.
There was no evidence of it being grown for commercial sale.
Mr Farrow said the police visited the house on March 5 this year.
Adams, aged 33, of Hawksmoor Road, Stafford, admitted a charge of producing cannabis.
Mr Bernard Porter, mitigating, said Adams had been a long-term cannabis user and his habit increased following a car accident in 2007. He was now working as a groundsman.
Adams was sentenced to 10 months jail, suspended for 18 months, and ordered to do 80 hours of unpaid work.
