Cannabis grown to save money, court told
A man who started growing cannabis with friends from his five-a-side football team to save money has avoided an immediate jail sentence.
Raphael Jackson, aged 27, had planned the enterprise with team mates he played with every week at Goals soccer centre in Oldbury, Wolverhampton Crown Court heard.
The plants were grown at his third-floor flat in Darlaston, which was raided by police on April 28.
Mr Mark Rees, prosecuting, said Jackson and a friend, 21-year-old Ashley Glass, were discovered in the locked spare bedroom about to pick some of the leaves.
See also: Men who kept £70k drug factory jailed.
The police had forced entry and found a total of 78 plants inside, including 18 mature plants in the bedroom, another 10 drying in the kitchen and 50 seedlings. The plants in the bedroom were inside a tent and there was other cannabis cultivation equipment around.
Father-of-two Jackson told the court his role had been to provide a place when the cannabis could be produced but he denied the flat had been rented for that sole purpose.
He said others in the football team knew more about raising the plants but he admitted watering and caring for them. He stayed at the flat in The Avenue around three nights a week, spending the rest of the time at his partner's home in Halesowen.
He claimed he smoked around six spliffs a day but had since given up. The growing operation had started in January after a conversation with his five-a-side colleagues about the expense of cannabis and had been going for about two-and-a-half months when the flat was raided.
He said he and the five other players had planned to divide up the plants between them for their own use.
See also: Wolverhampton pensioner grew £34k of cannabis.
Glass, who was not part of the football team, claimed he was roped in to assist during a visit to see his friend.
He said: "I knew what he was doing but I never got involved. I was asked if I would help harvest the plants and I foolishly agreed." The pair had no previous convictions.
Jackson, of Titford Road, Oldbury, and Glass, of St James Road Handsworth, both pleaded guilty to producing cannabis on the basis that they did not grow it for financial gain.
Jackson was given a nine-month prison sentence suspended for two years and both were ordered to carry out 120 hours unpaid work and agree to a curfew, Jackson for 18 weeks and Glass for 16 weeks. They were also ordered to share the prosecution costs of £550.
Judge John Warner told them: "If you get involved in anything like this again, you will find it will almost certainly lead to a custodial sentence."
