Judge tells off ‘spoilt’ 36-yr-old who grew cannabis in parents’ flat:

AMAN has been given a dressing down by a judge after growing cannabis in his parents’ flat above a travel agents and getting them arrested.

William Benjamin Smart was branded as “spoilt” and “petulant” for his attitude, after telling probation officers that it would “stress me out” if he was ordered to carry out unpaid work as punishment.

The 36-year-old of Felin Bach, Pwllheli pleaded guilty at Caernarfon Crown Court to the production of cannabis plants worth between £5,880 and £17,640.

He was growing the Class B drug in a flat owned by his parents above a travel agents in High Street, Abersoch.

The discovery was made when police carried out a search warrant at the property on July 7, 2019 and found 21 cannabis plants spread out across three different zones for different stages of production.

The cultivation was “sophisticated and indicative of a commercial operation,” the prosecution said.

Smart turned himself in after his parents were arrested, telling officers he was the sole key-holder and that his mother and father had no knowledge or involvement of his activity.

The court heard that he had accumulated a “significant drug debt” and had set up the cannabis operation in a bid to pay it off.

But addressing Smart, who has four previous convictions, judge Nicola Jones said: “What must be recognised is the misery which drugs wreak in communities, in particular small rural communities such as Pen Llŷn where you live...you were motivated by financial reward.

“What came out of your pre-sentence report was someone who frankly lacked remorse, lacked insight, cares only about yourself, there was a degree of petulance when unpaid work was mentioned, you said: ‘that will just stress me out.’

“You were ambivalent to probation intervention.”

She added: “What comes across is a thoroughly unlikable individual – you are 36-years-old, your parents are incredibly supportive of you they provide you with accommodation, your mother’s paid off your drug debts, these people are incredible people and how do you reward them?

“You get them arrested because you’re growing drugs in their premises, I can’t imagine how awful that must have been for them.”

The judge said it would benefit the community at large if Smart was rehabilitated, rather than sending him to prison for a short period of time and for his behaviour not to change on his release.

She said: “It’s time to grow up, start appreciating your parents – you have been given so much more than other people I see in your position.

“Because of the delay in this case, I am satisfied that you are able to rehabilitate as you haven’t reoffended in that time.

“Frankly, you’ve got no reason to re-offend because you’re given everything on a plate.”

Handing him 12 month sentence, suspended for two years, Judge Jones added: “I’m not concerned about you, you’re just a spoilt man in his 30s who’s never actually been able to, for any length of time, stand on a his own two feet, you need to start doing that, start respecting your parents.”

Smart was ordered to carry out 30 rehabilitation requirement days and 250 hours of unpaid work.

Imposing £425 costs and a victim surcharge, the judge told Smart: “I don’t want your mother paying these off today, it’s time to take responsibility. You’ve got a child, you need to turn your life around, that is possible, even at your age.

“Stop feeling sorry for yourself and stop blaming everybody else.”