Tenant claimed £184,000 cannabis farm at suburban Leeds home was for 'medicinal' purposes

Jakes Thompson was not home when the police raided the house on Brian Place in Crossgates on June 9, 2020. They had been tipped off about a potential farm, could smell cannabis and could hear extractor fans when they arrived at the property, so forced their way inside, Leeds Crown Court heard this week.

They found 336 plants in total, complete with fans, heat lamps and transformers. The electricity had also been bypassed. Experts said it was capable of producing more than 18kgs of cannabis, with a street value of £184,800.

Thompson, 32, was arrested a short time later, while a second man, Damon Davey, was also arrested after his finger prints were found on light bulbs used to help grow the illegal plants.

During his police interview, Thompson claimed he grew the cannabis because he was suffering from stomach problems and required it for medicinal purposes. Davey, also 32, told police he helped Thompson move into the property and gave him equipment, which would explain his finger prints.

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But further investigations found that he had searched online for setting up cannabis grows. Davey, of The Crescent, Garforth, maintained his innocence but was found guilty after a trial at Leeds Crown Court in January last year of producing cannabis. Thompson, of Mallard Avenue, Castleford, previously admitted production of cannabis.

The court heard both had p4revious convictions, but none for drugs. A probation report into Davey found that was now a father of three and was working. For Thompson, it was reported that he found cannabis expensive to decided to grow his own. He is a father of two children and his arrest had been a “massive wake-up call”.

No further mitigation was offered after the judge, Recorder Alex Menary said neither defendant would be locked up. He gave Davey two years’ jail, suspended for 18 months with 200 hours of unpaid work. Thompson was given 16 months’ suspended for 18 months with 130 hours of unpaid work.