Two men who travelled from the Manchester area to Bradford to harvest a £30,000 skunk cannabis farm have been given suspended jail sentences.

Anthony Corns and Callum Brady fled from the Great Horton Road drugs factory pursued by a number of police officers who apprehended them, Bradford Crown Court heard today.

Corns, 31, of Mallory Walk, Manchester, and Callum Brady, 30, of Westwood Crescent, Eccles, pleaded guilty to production of cannabis two and a half years ago.

Sentencing them for the offence, committed on July 30, 2019, the Recorder of Bradford, Judge Richard Mansell QC, hit out at the long delay in bringing this case and others to conclusion.

“It’s utterly unacceptable but it continues unchecked,” he said.

Prosecutor Nicoleta Alistari said the police forced entry to the mid-terrace house after receiving a tip-off that there was cannabis there.

The two defendants were seen running away and arrested by officers who deployed pava spray to stop them. It is believed that a third man managed to escape, the court was told.

Miss Alistari said the estimated yield from the grow was 3.5 kilos of skunk cannabis with a street value of £29,651.

Corns, who had evidence of cannabis dealing on his phone, played a significant role, while Brady was less involved, it was stated.

Corns’ barrister, Satpal Roth-Sharma, said he was working full-time as a patio door fitter.

At the time of the offence, he was out of work following heart surgery and struggling to manage financially. He acted out of naivety while desperate for money and off sick.

For Brady, it was stated that he had been open and straightforward about the mistake he had made in getting involved. His was a lesser role and he had learned a very valuable lesson.

“He never wants to darken the door of this or any other court again,” it was said.

Judge Mansell told the men: “Cannabis production is big business at the moment, it’s huge in this city.”

Farms were being set up in houses and disused industrial premises such as old mills.

Such grows could lead to serious violence between rival gangs competing for a share of the crop, Judge Mansell said.

Both Corns and Brady had committed no offences in the two and a half years since they were apprehended. They were working hard to support their families and get on with their lives.

Corns was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment, suspended for two years, with 200 hours of unpaid work.

Brady received an eight-month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, with 100 hours of unpaid work.