A ‘HOME-GROWTH’’ of cannabis almost ready for harvesting was uncovered when police visited a terraced house in a former pit village, earlier this month.

Officers called at the property, in Eleventh Street, Horden, and a lone occupant, Abdullah Matmujaj, answered the rear door.

Durham Crown Court, sitting in Newcastle, was told that on seeing police present he immediately slammed the door shut and locked it, before attempting to hide.

Rebecca Brown, prosecuting, said he was found in the loft, where a number of mature cannabis plants were being cultivated.

Other mature plants were recovered from the front and back bedrooms, both, like the loft, fitted with lighting equipment and other paraphernalia to assist their growth.

Miss Brown said the electricity meter was bypassed to allow free supply to power the lighting system.

When interviewed the 24-year-old Albanian said he came to this country seeking a better life, arriving five months ago, by illegal means.

Having struggled to find work in London, was given as rail ticket to Sunderland and dropped off at the property with only £5 on which to live.

He was told to tend the plants and those running the operation said he would receive £1,000 when the yield was successfully harvested.

Matmujaj told police he had been at the house for only ten days and said he had only left the property to buy food.

He claimed if he did not follow the instructions he had been given he would risk a beating and said he felt he had no option but to go along with what he was told to do.

Miss Brown said the plants would have been capable of producing a “significant” quantity of cannabis for commercial sale.

Matmujaj, who was given a translation of proceedings with the assistance of an Albanian interpreter, admitted producing a class B drug, between January 2 and April 1, when the police raided the property.

Judge James Adkin said it had to be accepted Matmujaj played a “significant role” in the production of the plants.

He told defence advocate Martin Scarborough that the offence merited an 18-month prison term if it had gone to trial, and, with a deduction for his prompt guilty plea, the sentence would be 12-months.

Mr Scarborough said, in the circumstances, he could not seek a better outcome.

Judge Adkin said the defendant participated in the growth of cannabis, “on an industrial scale”.

He told him he would serve six months behind bars and then either by released on licence or deported by the Immigration Service.