October 21, 2011

Jail for cannabis offending at home

By Anne Clarkson at the Rangiora Court House

Home detention was ruled out for a drug offender who was found with items for cultivating cannabis all through his home.

The ?unsophisticated operation? of cultivating and possessing cannabis for supply led to a two year prison term in the Christchurch District Court sentencing session at Rangiora today.

Brett Carol, 45, was also being sentenced for possession of a firearm without a licence.

Defence counsel Andrew McCormick said Carol had an unsophisticated operation and only sold the cannabis to friends or people he knew.

But Judge Michael Crosbie said cannabis sellers had lots of close friends they sold to, but they did not know where the cannabis ended up.

He said there were items for cultivating cannabis all through the house, and bags of cannabis weighed out ready for supply.

In one bedroom there were 50 cannabis plants, with more cannabis on a drying rack.

In the second bedroom there was more cannabis growing, and 29 bags each of 28g of cannabis head were found, with another 138g of dried cannabis throughout the house. He said it was all worth about $17,950.

Carol?s probation report said he grew cannabis because he thought he would not be caught. He had already had similar offending convictions in 2007.

It said his motivation was to get easy money, and also use the cannabis himself. Because he was a user himself, it escalated his risk of further offending.

Judge Crosbie sentenced Carol to two years? prison with special conditions for six months following, to do counselling programmes as recommended by his probation officer.

He said Carol would not be suitable for a home detention sentence.

He ordered the destruction of the cannabis and everything associated with the operation.