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UK: Electrician avoids jail sentence after cannabis found growing at his home
Gloucestershire Echo Thursday 03 May 2012 The comments came as a 31-year-old electrician appeared before him after being caught with £8,500 worth of home grown cannabis in his Bishop's Cleeve home. Andrew Lee used a heated tent set up in his bungalow bedroom in Pecked Lane to cultivate the drug, Gloucester Crown Court was told. The father-of-two, who now lives in Springbank Way, Cheltenham, admitted producing a controlled drug on September 20 last year. Lee was given a three-month jail term, suspended for a year. He was also placed under a curfew from 9pm to 6am for six months and ordered to pay £300 costs. Judge Jamie Tabor QC told Lee that he had come very close to going straight to jail. But he said he had decided to allow Lee to continue with his 'terrific profession' and help his ex-partner with their two young children, one of whom is being tested for suspected autism. However, the judge warned it was a serious case because there was currently "an epidemic of cannabis growing" in the area. Prosecutor Mark Hollier said police raided Lee's home on September 20 and found cannabis production equipment stored in the front room of the rented bungalow, but not being used. The officers detected a strong smell of cannabis and in the rear bedroom found an 8ft by 6ft tent with heaters inside it. There were 850 grams of cannabis drying and it had been valued at £8,500, said Mr Hollier. Paul Trotman, in mitigation, said Lee had qualified as an electrician at the age of 23 after a four-year course. He had been self employed since then. "For seven years he has run his own business and done very well at it," he said. Judge Tabor added that electricians were known for the money that their trade brought in. "Sparkies normally make a lot of money," he added. Mr Trotmen said Lee had been dealing with an addiction. "At this time the defendant had a considerable cannabis habit and was spending £40 a week," he said."Someone suggested he grew it himself. "He was far more successful at it than he thought he would be. "He had been told a good deal of the crop would die but in fact the whole crop flourished." Judge Tabor told Lee he had taken his personal circumstances into account in deciding not to jail him. "You have got two kids, one of whom potentially suffers from autism, which will mean you and your ex partner have a long and difficult road and a highly responsible one," he said. "You have got a lot going for you so I am not going to send you to prison but you have come as close as a man can." http://www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk/Electrician-avoids-jail-sentence-cannabis-growing/story-15988534-detail/story.html
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