CANNABIS GROWER RECEIVES FINE

A man who was growing cannabis in an underground room concealed
beneath a garden shed has walked away from court with a 75 UKP fine.

Vaughan Jenkins, 44, of Beaconsfield Road, Norwich, had pleaded guilty
to producing cannabis in a concealed room located under a trap door in
a shed at his home, he city's magistrates heard.

Passing sentence, chairman Nigel Dixon told Jenkins: "On the mitigating
side there was clearly a small quantity being grown at home for your own
personal use.

"The plants were being grown for your own personal medical needs to
relieve your discomfort and pain.

"Throughout you co-operated with the police.

"You made no attempt to disguise matters or divert attention away from
the plain facts of the matter.

"You are clearly a man of good character and it is rare for use to see
so many references which speak in such clear and glowing terms."

Prosecutor Nick Stohlner said he accepted Jenkins was growing 57
plants, which were at various stages of development, for his own
personal use to alleviate back pain, which had forced him to give up
his job.

At an earlier hearing prosecutor Rachel Balfour had said police had
executed a search warrant at Jenkins' home on October 4.

In the back garden there were a number of sheds and
greenhouses.

Within a shed in the rear garden they found a trap door leading to the
underground room. From here police seized 57 cannabis plants in
various stages of growth and some herbal cannabis was also seized.

It was estimated the maximum potential value of the cannabis found and
being grown was just under UKP9000.

Ian Fisher, for Jenkins, said it was not a professional or hyroponic
(sic) set up.

The plants were being grown in peat using "bits and pieces cobbled
together from DIY stores."

He said: "There is no question whatsoever of anybody else getting
involved with the cannabis he was growing.

"It was for him and him alone."

The reason given as to why it was in an underground room was to keep
it away from his children when they visited.