Peterlee cannabis grower receives suspended prison sentence

3:03pm Monday 7th January 2013 in News Static HTML image By Bruce Unwin, Chief Reporter (Durham)

A CANNABIS taker who grew his own plants to provide his personal supply, would have probably sold some of the surplus to fellow users, a court has ruled.

Police found 14 cannabis plants growing at Ian Gary Longworth’s flat in Peterlee, County Durham, on September 2, 2011.

Martin Towers, prosecuting, told Durham Crown Court the potential 560-gramme crop could have an estimated £3,200 value in street sales.

Longworth, 32, of Oakerside Drive, Peterlee, admitted class B drug production, but claimed the cannabis being grown was to meet his own use of the drug.

Following a trial of issue at the court, last month, Recorder Euan Duff ruled that he believed, in all probability, that while Longworth may have been quite a heavy user of the drug, some would have been to sell on to “friends and associates” in the community.

His barrister, Ron Mitchell, told today’s (Monday January 7) sentencing hearing that the offence took place far more than a year ago, and he has not repeated “such behaviour”.

“He says he has significantly reduced the amount he takes and admits he takes it, now, on an only occasional basis.”

Recorder Duff told Longworth: "You were growing a small scale cannabis farm, essentially, and I’m satisfied while you were not a commercial dealer, you would have recouped some of your commercial outlay from your friends.

“But, I accept this was all in the past and it appears you’re now working part-time and things have moved on considerably.”

He imposed a six-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, with 12 months supervision and 100 hours’ unpaid work.

The recorder also ordered Longworth to pay £1,800 costs from £2,300 recovered by police during the raid.

Comments (5)

5:50pm Mon 7 Jan 13

Babs Stanley says...

We need to stop this stupid and unwinnable war against cannabis. It is causing far more harm to our communities than it prevents. If we had a properly regulated system of production and supply we'd have no more illegal cannabis farms, instead we'd have thousands of new jobs. We'd have no more dealers on the streets. Cannabis would be available to adults only through licensed outlets and we'd have some control over the THC and CBD content.

Doctors would be able to prescribe one of the most effective medicines that has no serious side effects at all. At the moment the government has given GW Pharmaceuticals an illegal monopoly on cannabis so they make millions out of a medicine that you can grow in your greenhouse for virtually nothing.

If we introduced a legally regulated system we would solve nearly all the problems around cannabis. Science proves how much safer it is than tobacco, alcohol, prescription medicines and all other recreational drugs. If anyone does have a problem with it they could get help without having to confess to a crime.

CLEAR published independent, expert research last year which shows that a tax and regulate policy on cannabis would produce a net gain to the UK economy of up to £9.3 billion per annum.

It is a scandal that our government, our judges, our courts, our police and our newspapers keep misleading us about cannabis. Find out the truth for yourself and wake up to the lies you have been told.
We need to stop this stupid and unwinnable war against cannabis. It is causing far more harm to our communities than it prevents. If we had a properly regulated system of production and supply we'd have no more illegal cannabis farms, instead we'd have thousands of new jobs. We'd have no more dealers on the streets. Cannabis would be available to adults only through licensed outlets and we'd have some control over the THC and CBD content. Doctors would be able to prescribe one of the most effective medicines that has no serious side effects at all. At the moment the government has given GW Pharmaceuticals an illegal monopoly on cannabis so they make millions out of a medicine that you can grow in your greenhouse for virtually nothing. If we introduced a legally regulated system we would solve nearly all the problems around cannabis. Science proves how much safer it is than tobacco, alcohol, prescription medicines and all other recreational drugs. If anyone does have a problem with it they could get help without having to confess to a crime. CLEAR published independent, expert research last year which shows that a tax and regulate policy on cannabis would produce a net gain to the UK economy of up to £9.3 billion per annum. It is a scandal that our government, our judges, our courts, our police and our newspapers keep misleading us about cannabis. Find out the truth for yourself and wake up to the lies you have been told. Babs Stanley

6:05pm Mon 7 Jan 13

SuperSilverSourDiesel says...

Growing your own cannabis at home is a victimless crime.
Growing your own cannabis at home is a victimless crime. SuperSilverSourDiesel

6:30pm Mon 7 Jan 13

corban says...

The crime here is that an honest man who has harmed no-one now has a criminal record. This is a waste of time and money for the already hard pressed british tax payer.

If he had brought it through a dealer he could well of been funding organized crime and taken a risk with the quality of the product (who knows what chemicals they use on their crops to maximise yield) but it seems that this is the easier way as then he would of been charged with possession a lesser offence.

Ending this prohibition and bringing cannabis into the open in a sensible way like tobacco and alcohol with their regulations and taxed we could of had a new revenue stream and helped stop funding organized crime.

That is the tru crime here
The crime here is that an honest man who has harmed no-one now has a criminal record. This is a waste of time and money for the already hard pressed british tax payer. If he had brought it through a dealer he could well of been funding organized crime and taken a risk with the quality of the product (who knows what chemicals they use on their crops to maximise yield) but it seems that this is the easier way as then he would of been charged with possession a lesser offence. Ending this prohibition and bringing cannabis into the open in a sensible way like tobacco and alcohol with their regulations and taxed we could of had a new revenue stream and helped stop funding organized crime. That is the tru crime here corban

6:46pm Mon 7 Jan 13

gcmercier says...

What a waste of my taxes to arrest and prosecute this adult citizen for a victimless activity he does in the privacy of his private property.
What a waste of my taxes to arrest and prosecute this adult citizen for a victimless activity he does in the privacy of his private property. gcmercier

11:57pm Mon 7 Jan 13

Joel Dalais says...

Charging into a persons private house, messing their place up in the search, taking their medicine, and their money. Very likely whilst armed and preventing the liberty of the victim.

So we have, breaking and entering, robbery, illegally detaining.

You're right, 'Cannabis' is not a victim-less crime.

Gary Longworth was a victim of our corrupt greed led country.

Joel Dalais
CLEAR Media Team
CLEAR - Cannabis Law Reform
Charging into a persons private house, messing their place up in the search, taking their medicine, and their money. Very likely whilst armed and preventing the liberty of the victim. So we have, breaking and entering, robbery, illegally detaining. You're right, 'Cannabis' is not a victim-less crime. Gary Longworth was a victim of our corrupt greed led country. Joel Dalais CLEAR Media Team CLEAR - Cannabis Law Reform Joel Dalais

Comments are closed on this article.

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