Bedroom plants to be destroyed

A Tawa man discovered with seven 1.2-metre-tall marijuana plants in his bedroom has been ordered to destroy the plants.

Richard Smith, 28, pleaded guilty to cultivating marijuana when he appeared in the Porirua District Court last Tuesday.

Police prosecutor Peter Kirsopp said in court police smelled cannabis when they went to the recent IT graduate’s house about an unrelated matter on September 11.

Upon searching the house, they found seven mature cannabis plants, tarpaulin, lamps, shades, control power inputs, shears and gardening products.

Smith told police he was growing the drug for his own use, which amounted to about $50 of cannabis use a day.

Smith’s lawyer Peter Ross said that although Smith had a history of offending, including alcoholrelated charges, this was his first drugs offence.

‘‘His rationale for growing was that he didn’t want to associate with the people who were selling, that it was better to be autonomous in that respect,’’ Ross said.

Smith had apparently replaced his problem with alcohol with cannabis, he said.

Judge Jan Kelly said cultivating marijuana was a serious charge with a maximum penalty of seven years’ imprisonment, but she accepted Smith’s offending was at the lower end of the scale.

She sentenced him to 200 hours of community work and nine months’ supervision with an order to complete any further alcohol and drug assessments and counselling.

She also ordered the destruction of the plants.