Man fined for allowing cannabis to be smoked in home (From Gazette Series)

Man fined for allowing cannabis to be smoked in home

4:14pm Tuesday 2nd December 2008

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DAD Jeffrey Lord turned from forklift truck driver to old fashioned copper when he discovered his son was growing cannabis in the back garden, a court heard.

It was a case of using the time-honoured police phrase "Ello, ello, ello, what's going on 'ere then?" said defending solicitor Joe Maloney when Lord discovered what his son was up to.

Gloucester Crown Court was told that Lord, 47, of First Avenue, Dursley, had no idea what son Paul was up to in the back yard but he knew he did smoke cannabis around the house occasionally.

Paul Lord, 28, also of First Avenue, admitted conspiring to produce bush cannabis and producing the drug between June 1, 2006 and June 13, 2008, but denied supplying it.

Dad Jeffrey denied producing a Class B drug, bush cannabis, between the same dates and denied permitting his home premises to be used for production of a controlled drug.

But but he did admit a charge that he had permitted the same premises to be used for smoking cannabis.

Mary Harley, prosecuting, said those pleas were acceptable.

She said that officers went to the property belonging to Lord senior, a tenant of Stroud District Council, and discovered a "significant hydroponic set up".

Jeffrey denied all knowledge of the concern going on in the garden, said the prosecutor, but told police he knew his son smoked in the house from time to time as he could smell it.

Mr Maloney caused merriment in court by stating that his client had been as surprised as officers were when he was told of their discovery.

Mr Maloney said it was a case of "Ello, Ello ello! What's goin on 'ere then?" when Lord senior discovered the "goings-on" in his back own back yard.

He told the judge that Lord was a fork-lift truck driver and urged the judge to be as lenient as he could be.

Passing sentence, Judge Martin Picton said that Lord had pleaded guilty to allowing his premises to be used for smoking cannabis.

He was fined £250 with a victim surcharge of £15. Lord was also ordered to pay £50 towards prosecution costs.

He will pay at £25 a week with seven days in default, the court heard.

The judge recorded not guilty verdicts on Lord senior in respect of the two other counts - producing a Class B drug between June 1, 2006 and June 13, 2008 and permitting his home premises to be used for production of a controlled drug.

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