A JUDGE will determine whether a man’s cannabis farm was intended for personal or commercial use.

Kannen Robert Robinson, of Windsor Drive, South Hetton, was due to be sentenced yesterday for producing a class B drug and abstracting electricity.

The defendant, who turns 22 today, was found in possession of 60 plants at an address in Seaham in April last year and pleaded guilty to the offences in November.

However, when Robinson appeared for sentencing at Durham Crown Court, Judge Jonathan Carroll adjourned the case to allow for a Newton hearing on March 14 to determine whether the plants were for personal use or commercial supply.

Judge Carroll said: “Even a small number of plants can produce a vast amount. Somebody needs to look at the quality of these plants.”

He added: “There’s no conceivable way, unless these plants were unusable and were so incompetently grown, that these were for personal use.”

Shaun Dryden, prosecuting, told the court the case was “unusual” in that police had accepted it as a none commercial supply.

Judge Carroll directed the prosecution to serve additional evidence including photographs of the cannabis farm set-up and “proper scientific evidence” as to the likely output - plus an estimated value.

Thomas Laffey, mitigating, was asked to produce a medical report on his client, who has ADHD and is on the “Asperger’s spectrum”, and who he described as appearing “extremely vulnerable”.

He told the court Robinson’s mum is his carer and that he was living on his own for six months when the offences were carried out.