Cannabis factory found at Waterlooville home

Police discovered 29 plants growing in a ‘sophisticated’ factory at Shaun Waters’ home in Milton Road, Waterlooville, last summer.

The 50-year-old appeared at Portsmouth Crown Court after he was arrested over the find on August 20, 2017.

Prosecutor Edward Elton said: ‘The police were called to an unrelated matter, which was not proceeded with, to this defendant’s home address.

‘The door was opened by the defendant’s lodger.

‘There was a cannabis factory in one of the rooms in that flat.

‘It was an average level of sophistication, it wasn’t rudimentary or sophisticated.

‘It’s not a few plant pots on a windowsill, it’s properly set up. It’s an average cannabis factory.’

But judge Robert Hill said: ‘He’s got green fingers, he knows what he’s doing, he’s got the gear.’

The court heard Waters has two previous convictions for possession of drugs in 2015 and 2017.

Sentencing, the judge imposed an eight-month sentence suspended for two years with two-month curfew.

Waters must at his partner’s home between 6pm-6am.

Addressing Waters, judge Hill said: ‘You were growing a quantity of cannabis plants – too much for your own use.

‘You accept there was some financial advantage or other advantage, certainly in terms of not having to buy cannabis.

‘I accept that you were growing because you have got back problems and pain problems. If it were not for that you’d be going to prison.’

Mitigating, Bridget O’Hagan said Waters admitted producing the class B drug at magistrates’ court.

She said: ‘He was relatively co-operative at the scene.’

Full mitigation was not heard as the judge indicated he would suspend the prison sentence he imposed.