Cannabis found in loft of Wigan house

Officers went to Steven Mifsud’s home on Keats Avenue, Worsley Mesnes, to execute a warrant under the Misuse of Drugs Act. Wigan justices heard they had received intelligence that cannabis was being grown and distributed from the property.

Katie Beattie, prosecuting, said: “They located cannabis growing in the loft area and this was deemed to be a professional set-up.”

There was LED lighting, polystyrene on the roof to make it waterproof and fans running, she said. Police also found 15 individual bags of cannabis, plants, seeds, scales and a mobile phone.

When interviewed by the police, Mifsud, 34, accepted growing cannabis for his personal use but denied supplying it to others, the court heard. He had been addicted to the drug since the age of 12 to 14 and had been using it more frequently in recent times after a motorbike accident.

The court was told Mifsud claimed the cannabis was put into bags so he knew how much he was using. Ms Beattie said police investigations found nothing to suggest he had been selling the drugs.

Mifsud, who represented himself, pleaded guilty to producing cannabis, which is a controlled class B drug.

He disputed the number of bags of cannabis found and said some of the seeds were for tomatoes and raspberries, rather than cannabis.

He said he had been seeking help from Addaction and planned to see his GP for anxiety.

Magistrates handed down a community order with eight days of rehabilitation activities.

They also ordered the defendant to complete 120 hours’ unpaid work, pay £100 prosecution costs and an £85 victim surcharge.