Father who grew cannabis worth £40k claimed haul was for his own ‘heavy’ use

Ricky Leedham’s produced a bumper crop that could have been worth up to £40,000 if sold in street deals, revealed Mr Geoffrey Dann, prosecuting.

Police found 60 plants being cultivated in two bedrooms at his home under an extensive hydroponic system on September 29 last year.

Leedham told officers that it was all being grown for his own ‘heavy’ use, but Mr Dann observed: “It was a professional and well established cannabis grow.

“This crop would take even a heavy user at least two years, and probably significantly more, to consume.

"It would be extremely surprising if some of it had not found its way to others.”

Mr John Brotherton, defending, conceded: “Sixty plants raises suspicion but they grew a little too well for him, far better than he had expected.”

The lawyer pointed out that none of the usual paraphernalia associated with drug dealing – lists of customers, cash, scales and tell tale mobile phone messages – had been found in the police swoop.

The fork lift truck driver was hard working and the father of a child with health issues whom he helped to care for despite living apart from the boy’s mother, continued Mr Brotherton.

Leedham, of Thompson Avenue, Parkfields, and of previous good character, admitted producing cannabis and was given an eight-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, with 240 hours unpaid work.

Recorder Anthony Lowe told him: “My initial reaction was to send you immediately into custody because thin involved a lot of plants.

"But I have to balance the knock on effect on both your ability to work and to care for your young child means a suspended sentence is in the best interests of the public.”