A MAN made “blood-curdling threats” to the police in a bid to stop them discovering the £7,700 cannabis grow at his home, Bradford Crown Court heard yesterday.

Paul Smith was loud and aggressive when officers attended at his address in the early hours because of reports of a neighbours’ dispute.

Smith, 49, of Hallwood Green, Ravenscliffe, Bradford, ran upstairs hurling abuse at the police and telling them to get out, prosecutor Joseph Bell said.

He threatened: “If you come any closer, I’m going to smash your heads in,” the court was told.

When he appeared to have a sharp object in his hand, an officer pushed him to stop him, and then punched him in the upper body as “a distraction technique.”

But Smith continued to swing his hands about and had to be subdued with Pava spray.

The officers then discovered that 14 cannabis plants were being grown at Smith’s home.

There were fans, lamps, plant feed and a ventilation system, Mr Bell said.

The crop had an estimated yield of 770 grams of cannabis with a street value of £7,700.

Smith pleaded guilty to assaulting a police officer as an emergency worker and production of cannabis on April 12 last year.

The court heard he had 28 previous convictions for 139 offences, most of them theft-related but including arson in 2008.

His barrister, Caroline Abraham, said the offences were almost a year ago and Smith had not been in any trouble since.

Although he had an extensive criminal record it was of significant age, the last matter being 13 years ago.

Smith regretted threatening the police officers that night.

“He realises it is entirely unacceptable,” Miss Abrahams said.

No officer was injured in the confrontation.

Smith’s use of cannabis had led to deterioration in his mental health. He was on medication for anxiety and paranoia and he also suffered from COPD.

His family were very supportive and his brother had attended court with him.

Miss Abraham conceded that the custody threshold was reached but urged the judge to draw back from sending Smith to jail during the Covid-19 lockdown.

Recorder Taryn Turner told him: “You have come within a whisker of going to prison.”

She added: “You made blood-curdling threats to the police because you knew they would find your cannabis grow.”

Smith was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment, suspended for 18 months, with 40 hours of rehabilitation activity and a nine-month drug rehabilitation requirement.