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UK: Man who kitted out two cannabis factories loses court appeal
Melton Times Sunday 22 Apr 2012 London’s Criminal Appeal Court heard Carl Wesley Parker was caught red-handed by police as he and his accomplices removed cannabis-growing equipment from a house in Coalville. The 33-year-old, of Woodhouse Road, Asfordby, was jailed for four-and-a-half years at Leicester Crown Court in August last year after admitting cannabis production. That sentence was on top of the three years he was handed at Nottingham Crown Court in April last year following his conviction for a similar offence - making a seven-and-a-half year jail term in total. He challenged his sentence at the Appeal Court, with his lawyers arguing it was 'too long' for his crimes, but his appeal was dismissed. The court heard Parker owned a shop which sold hydroponics equipment and had sold growing kits to two men who used it to set up a cannabis factory. He also helped them to set-up the factory and continued to give them advice about growing the plants. The factory, which was inside a flat rented by Marcin Kondysiak, in Church Lane, Coalville, was discovered in January last year when his landlord wanted to carry out an inspection. While the landlord sat outside in his car, he saw Parker, Kondysiak and their accomplice, Robert Ogonowski, removing items from the house and loading black bags into a vehicle which was driven away. The police arrived a short while later and found the three men in the property - where there was irrigation equipment and plant food. Parker had a pair of latex gloves and £520 cash on him. A raid of Ogonowski's house, in Broom Leys Road, Coalville, unearthed a second cannabis factory, as well as £20,000 cash, and cannabis plants worth between £85,000 and £170,000. Ogonwski and Kondysiak were jailed for four-and-a-half years each after they both admitted cannabis production. Parker committed the offence while on bail after he and another man were caught growing more than 340 plants - with a street value of £225,000 - at a flat in Elm Avenue, St Ann's, Nottingham. He also had a previous conviction for possession of the class B drug with intent to supply, for which he was given an eight-month jail term. It was accepted Parker didn't stand to profit from the Coalville cannabis factories, other than from the sale of equipment to the other two men. His lawyers argued the crown court judge imposed too high a sentence for the Leicestershire offence, and that he should not have ordered it to run consecutive to the three years he was already serving. But, dismissing the appeal, Lord Justice Pill said the sentence was 'not excessive', given the 'pattern of serious offending' involved in the case. http://www.meltontimes.co.uk/news/crime/man-who-kitted-out-two-cannabis-factories-loses-court-appeal-1-3760749
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