Ollerton cannabis farmer leapt from bathroom window

An Ollerton man jumped out of his bathroom window when police raided his house where he had been growing cannabis, a court heard.
Mansfield Magistrates Court.Mansfield Magistrates Court.
Mansfield Magistrates Court.

Officers turned up at Anthony Lewis’s Wellow Road home at 2am, on March 11, and saw him leap on to the roof of his neighbour’s carport, before arresting him shortly afterwards.

Police forced his front door and searched his home, finding three unharvested cannabis grows, at varying stages of maturity, in an upstairs bathroom, a summerhouse in the garden, and in the loft.

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As well as 27 plants, they also found an invoice in his name for ten “super skunk seeds”, from a Dutch company.

Lewis, 47, admitted producing the class B drug and causing criminal damage, when he appeared at Mansfield Magistrates Court, on Wednesday.

He told police he was a “fairly heavy cannabis user” and had been trying to save money by growing his own drug.

The court heard Lewis, who has no previous drug-related convictions, had offered to pay for the repairs to the car port.

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“This is effectively his first grow during a break-up from his wife,” said Morgan Hogarth, mitigating. “She wasn’t living there at the time. This has caused a greater rift.

“He wanted to save money and avoid associating with a criminal element.”

The court heard Lewis had been spending £100 a month on the drug to deal with sciatic pain.

“He thought other people were coming to his door,” said Emma Gardener, of the probation service.

“He later took full responsibility.”

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Magistrates gave him a 12 month community order, with 15 days of a rehabilitation activity requirement, and ordered him to carry out 80 hours of unpaid work.

He must also pay £85 costs and an £85 victim surcharge. The drugs and paraphernalia were ordered to be destroyed.

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