Man had cannabis farm in attic

3:23pm Thursday 12th July 2007

People living on a Bradford estate would be "alarmed" to learn that a cannabis farm had been set up in their midst, the city's magistrates court was told today.

Police found 33 skunk cannabis plants and associated equipment inside the loft of a house in Sutton Avenue, Swain House, in April this year, said prosecutor Simon Broad.

Neil Thomas, 37, pleaded guilty to cultivating the plants at his home. He was placed under a four-month curfew between the hours of 9pm and 6am and ordered to pay £50 costs. The plants were ordered to be destroyed.

Mr Broad said that after his arrest Thomas told officers he had been experimenting to find out how cannabis was grown.

Stuart Carter, mitigating, said his client had moved away from the use of heroin and cocaine.

But he agreed with deputy district judge John Sawyer that it appeared Thomas had moved over to cannabis.

Passing sentence, the deputy district judge said: "The thirty-three flowering female plants were of high purity and it is a very worrying matter for the local community, although I accept it was all for himself."

He told Thomas: "It is quite apparent to me that you have had difficulties in the past with Class A drugs, but as a result of the supervision and work done with you it behoves me to give you credit.

"I give you credit for the efforts you have made in seeking help with hard drugs, but it is not the solution to move over to cannabis.

"I do not expect you to now move over to alcohol, all right?

"Your neighbours will be alarmed to learn there was a cannabis farm, in effect, starting up nearby. Imprisonment did cross my mind."

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