A DRUGS cultivator who dug out two rooms under his garage to set up a hidden skunk cannabis factory has been ordered to pay £22,500 or face a further year in jail.
Alan Hillier, 42, of Storridge Road, Westbury, who has already served an 18-month jail term, has to pay the proceeds of his crime within the next six months or serve the extra time inside.
Hillier was described as a wholesale' grower after the secret drugs farm was found under his back garden.
advertisement
He had installed a sophisticated hydroponics system to water and feed the plants along with powerful lights and fans controlled by electronic timers.
There was also a CCTV system so he could see who was coming to his home from the subterranean hot house.
Hillier, who was sentenced to 18 months in September, was not in custody when he appeared for a confiscation hearing at Swindon Crown Court on Thursday.
Recorder Ian Pringle QC ruled the benefit from his crime and his realisable assets are each £22,500.
He gave him six months to pay the money under the Proceeds of Crime Act or face a one-year sentence in default.
Police only stumbled on the illicit crop by following wires from the main house when they raided it on former plumber 40th birthday in February 2006.
But even when they were in the large garage and the vehicle inspection pit, which had been covered with planks, they didn't immediately see the covered door to the farm.
Inside the two brightly lit rooms, 12ft by 12ft and 12ft by 6ft, they found 87 plants in various states of maturity along with off cuts and the growing equipment.
The court was the plants could have produced a yield of about 80oz, which would be worth about £13,000 in street deals.
Officers had tried to break down the front door of the house in the dawn raid but failed to get through because a scaffolding pole was barricading the door.
Once Hillier had let them in they found cannabis in his deep freeze and in a car as well as cash in a bookcase.
He pleaded not guilty to possessing the drug with intent to supply but was convicted by a jury following a trial. He admitted cultivating the drug.
He told the court he was growing the drug for his own use and could get through more than an ounce a week.
Hillier said under no circumstances would he share the drug or supply it in any way to anyone else. However a jury convicted him.
Nice. Be good to see more criminals hit this way. Make them downsize and pay out, save the rest of us paying as much tax (if only).
Legalise it and tax it, seems the only way.
Nice. Be good to see more criminals hit this way. Make them downsize and pay out, save the rest of us paying as much tax (if only).
Posted by: sally beenwell, westbury on 8:16am Fri 9 May 08
[quote][bold]YetiJoe[/bold] wrote:
Nice. Be good to see more criminals hit this way. Make them downsize and pay out, save the rest of us paying as much tax (if only). Legalise it and tax it, seems the only way.[/quote] YetiPlonk, Did you do some extra overtime this week.? I need a Dhss loan. Now Dont get Heathers Knickers in a twist I only asked, Theres a good girl.
YetiJoe wrote:
Nice. Be good to see more criminals hit this way. Make them downsize and pay out, save the rest of us paying as much tax (if only). Legalise it and tax it, seems the only way.
YetiPlonk, Did you do some extra overtime this week.? I need a Dhss loan. Now Dont get Heathers Knickers in a twist I only asked, Theres a good girl.
If you liked this article and would like to share it with others on the web who might be searching for good content we've made it easy for you to do it.
At the bottom of all articles, you'll see links to six sites. These sites - commonly called 'social bookmark' or 'social news' sites - have large communities of web users who share and rate interesting, useful and fun things on the web.
Clicking the links will automatically add the address of the story you are reading to one of these sites, letting you share it with others. Each site will ask you to register to share stories. Registration is free and once a member, you can store, recommend and search for stories that interest you.
Print
Email this
Comment
