A CANNABIS farmer was forced into growing the Class B drug over a £100 debt, a court heard.

Tadas Vorobliovas was caught with 50 plants growing in his Middlesbrough home when police raided the property.

The 43-year-old Lithuanian told police he was told to grow the crop in his home to clear his debt, Teesside Crown Court heard.

Police estimated the value of the drugs recovered to be worth between £14,000 and £42,000.

Jonathan Gittins, prosecuting, said Vorobliovas told officers he had to keep the details of the cannabis farm secret and described how the farm was well the set-up.

"He was growing the cannabis to repay a debt of £100 which grew by £50 each week," he said.

"He said the plants were put into the address by a man who loaned him the money and he just looked after them. He was told that once the plants had matured then the debt would be paid off.

"He described how two other men checked on the plants and that he was not to tell anybody about them. He said he didn't know that cultivating the plants was illegal."

Vorobliovas, of Edward Street, North Ormesby, Middlesbrough, pleaded guilty to one charge of production of cannabis following his arrest on August 28.

Michele Turner, in mitigation, said Vorobliovas had achieved residential statue after being in the country since 2004 and had been in employment the vast majority of the time.

She added: "Naively, the defendant probably thought he would get away with one crop and very quickly realised that would not be the case had he not been discovered by police."

Miss Turner said Vorobliovas had been working at a cheese factory and his role was still open to him when he was released from custody.

Judge Christopher Smith sentenced Vorobliovas to a 12-month community order after the defendant spent two months on remand awaiting sentencing.

He said: "You had allowed others to grow cannabis in your property, they were undoubtedly more sophisticated offenders than you and they took advantage of you but you knew you were doing wrong, it will have been obvious to you.

"Cannabis is a controlled drug for a reason, people become dependent upon it, it can cause serious health problems."

The defendant was also ordered to carry out 80 hours of unpaid work.

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