Amateur drug farm mocked

Raphael Yeston Fry, 41, of Latham Street, admitted producing the drug for personal use at Nottinghamshire Magistrates Court.

Police searched his home address on December 1 last year and found 27 cannabis plants in an 11ft by 9ft attic room, along with fans, heating lamps, plant spray and fertiliser.

But the court heard ‘the plants appeared to be dead or dying’ and only four plants had any leaves. Fry had previous convictions for drug offences which led to the loss of his driving license and the collapse of his chimney sweeping business.

Louise Wright, mitigating, said he had since sought help for his addiction to Class A drugs and was on a methadone programme. She said: “Instead of feeling sorry for himself he went out to find work that didn’t involve a driving license.”

She added that Fry and his partner had been using cannabis as a means of reducing their dependence on alcohol, saying: “The officers mocked their cultivation because of the amateur state it was in.”

Fry received a 12 month community order with 120 hours of unpaid work. He must pay costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £60.