Eagle-eyed police officer spots suspect and then finds cannabis factory

An eagle-eyed police officer spotted a man acting suspiciously when he was called to a report of a burglary in Grimsby and later discovered a cannabis factory.

Police responded when they received a report of suspicious activity at a commercial premises in Ladysmith Road, Grimsby on February 9. Prosecuting, Miss Marte Alnaes, told Grimsby Crown Court the alert police officer saw a man in the garden of a neighbouring property.

The man disappeared into the property in a hurry. When police searched the property, they found 40 cannabis plants. The man had fled the scene, but was later arrested.

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Julian Muca, 28, of no fixed address, admitted being concerned in the production of cannabis.

The prosecutor said police officers found bin bags filled with the remains of a previous harvest. Fingerprints were taken from lightbulbs and later matched those of Muca.

"He must have had some awareness of the scale of the operation," she said. She said he was an Albanian national.

For Muca, Katherine White said her client had a previous good character with no convictions. She said he was in the UK illegally and expects to be deported. "Immigration authorities will deal with that matter. He did not have permission to work in this country. He was provided with cigarettes, food and board for watering the plants," said Miss White.

The cannabis plants had been set up before his role in watering them, the court heard. Sentencing Muca, Judge Richard Woolfall said: "You involved yourself in this criminality because you were unable to find lawful work."

He said the issue of deportation would be the responsibility of the Home Office. He sentenced Muca to 14 weeks in prison.