Bulwell woman caught growing cannabis in her loft for second time

A Bulwell woman set up a cannabis farm in her loft after appearing in court for a similar offence.
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Police officers executed a warrant at Diane Brown's home on Cawston Gardens at 8.20am on April 24 2019, said prosecutor Steven Gosnell.

They found 10 ‘small and immature’ plants in the loft, along with evidence of a previous grow, and 623 grammes of the drug, dried and in bags, in a bedroom.

Police experts estimated the plants could have yielded anywhere between £2,800 and £8,400 of the drug, depending on how it was sold, while the dried drugs would have fetched as much as £6,230.

Police officers executed a warrant at Diane Brown's Bulwell home in April 2019.Police officers executed a warrant at Diane Brown's Bulwell home in April 2019.
Police officers executed a warrant at Diane Brown's Bulwell home in April 2019.

"The defendant accepts that she set up the that grow and a previous grow was set up four weeks earlier,” Mr Gosnell told Nottingham Crown Court on Thursday.

He said Brown has six previous convictions for 11 offences and received a conditional discharge in February 2018, for production of cannabis.

Digby Johnson, mitigating, said he backed the recommendations contained in a probation report.

Brown, 50, pleaded guilty to production and possession of cannabis when she previously appeared at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court.

Judge Steven Coupland told her: "Two years ago you were caught growing cannabis and quite a large amount of cannabis was found in a different room.

“A large proportion was going to be used by you – but you accepted that part would be sold on a commerical basis.

“Production of cannabis is always a serious business - particularly when you have previous convictions for it.”

But he said there were a number of important mitigating factors; her age, her guilty plea and there had been ‘a long period of time since you were last in trouble’.

“You have significant problems in your life which are not your fault. Happily you are employed and, happily, I'm told, you have stopped taking cannabis.”

He sentenced her to seven months, suspended for 12 months, and ordered her to carry out rehabilitation work with the probation service.

An application under the Proceeds of Crime Act will determine if Brown has to pay back any profits from the drugs at hearing set for July 17.

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