JUDGE: MAN WITH 4KG OF CANNABIS HAD 'GOOD YEAR'

A West Coast man whose house was awash with nearly 4kg of cannabis had
simply had "a good year" rather than being a drug dealer, a judge has
ruled.

Timothy Owen Harris, from Dunollie, appeared in Greymouth District
Court yesterday charged with cultivation and cultivation for supply
after police found 3942g of cannabis in various forms drying around
his house in a raid in May.

Offenders caught with 28g or more of cannabis can be charged with
possession for supply.

Harris said he planted 15 seedlings each year in the Notown forest,
but usually only two or three survived. Last season, he was able to
harvest seven or eight plants.

Sergeant Nigel Orpwood, of Greymouth police, said a storeroom had been
converted into a growing room, with a hole cut into the roof to expel
hot air.

In the kitchen, a black plastic rubbish bag was full of stalks and
waste leaves, and bits and pieces of cannabis plant were scattered
over the floor. On top of the fridge, a thermos lid contained four
cannabis roaches and a set of hand-held scales, and on the dining
table was a set of silver digital scales and a roll of plastic bags.
There were crumbs and scraps of cannabis scattered over and around the
table, and on the floor.

The lounge had bits and pieces of cannabis spread throughout, and
further cannabis stalks were found in a bucket by the fireplace. A set
of drawers contained a large shopping bag of 410g of processed
cannabis head, with smaller bags found in other drawers.

Covering the entire floor were remnants of cannabis leaf and stalk,
and there were rubbish bags full of stalks and plastic buckets full of
stripped leaf. There was also a dehumidifier and fan in the room to
aid the drying process, as well as other fans, ventilation tubing,
electrical cables and timers.

In a second bedroom, there were scraps of cannabis leaf scattered over
the floor, including on the floor of the wardrobe, where a plastic
rubbish bag containing 800g of cannabis leaf was found in one corner.

However, Judge Jane Farish said she was confident he was not a drug
dealer and discharged him on the more serious charge.

"There was no prevarication, hiding, fencing or caging. I'm satisfied
Mr Harris had a particularly good year."

She sentenced him to 250 hours' community work but warned that another
cannabis cultivation charge would probably earn jail.