A FORMER Jehovah's Witness who became addicted to marijuana through depression has been jailed for a year for his role in cultivating 2,700 cannabis plants.

Jeffrey Smith was arrested last March after police discovered four cannabis farms in the Bromley and Folkestone areas.

He admitted his role in operating the farms and was bailed. But he was re-arrested in November after a raid uncovered a 341 plant-farm at his home in Homefield Rise, Orpington.

Defending, Brian Stork told Croydon Crown Court how Smith, aged 34, was the junior partner in the operation.

He said: "Smith happened to be skilled at carpentry and the electronic trade and built the framework of the farms.

"He comes from a family of Jehovah's Witnesses but in his adult life chose to leave the religion. Ostracism followed immediately. He became clinically depressed and addicted to cannabis. He is now drug free."

The court heard police had seen Smith in a green Jaguar driving to the address of Robert Pook in Folkestone.

Prosecuting, Susannah Bramley said: "A search warrant was obtained by the Drugs Squad and a surveillance team and police found an automatic hydroponic farm controlling 1,200 plants."

Police went to another Folkestone address and found 840 plants. The property also belonged to Pook but had been rented in the past by Smith.

Another 350 plants were found in a house in Garden Road, Bromley.

Smith, now of Vickers Road, Erith, pleaded guilty to being concerned in the production of cannabis and abstracting electricity.

Jailing Smith, who has a previous conviction for producing the drug, for 12 months Judge Thomas Joseph also ordered him to forfeit £1,500.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000.Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.