Peterborough man could earn up to ‘£8,000 every three months’ from cannabis factory

Police raided the house in Bedford on 6 March last year and found three rooms had been converted in to growing areas.

26 plants producing 78 grams of cannabis in a harvest were seized. It would give a return of £8,000 every three months, Luton Crown Court was told today/Monday.

Zichfridas Surkus, 57, of Silver Road, Peterborough appeared for sentence having pleaded guilty to being concerned in the cultivation of cannabis. He had no previous convictions.

Defending, Robert English said the night-shift worker came to the UK in 2009.

He said Surkus had become a cannabis user because he was in pain from an injury and was finding it difficult to sleep.

Mr English said the cannabis factory was not a fully commercial set up, saying that the electricity had not been bypassed.

Judge Rebecca Herbert said the police had found a fairly professional cannabis factory.

She told him: “Your utility bills indicate it had been going on for over a year. The messages on your phone show you were involved in the supply of cannabis. It is clear to me you were making a significant amount of money in this operation.”

She passed a 16 month jail sentence suspended for 18 months. He must attend 15 rehabilitation days, carry out 200 hours’ unpaid work and pay £300 costs.

The drugs, plants and cannabis growing paraphernalia are to be forfeited and destroyed.