Weed grower gets grassed up by SSE

A CANNIBIS grower who cultivated plants thought to be worth almost £19,000 was rumbled after energy workers visiting his flat caught a whiff of the illegal herb.

Bryn Williamson, of Baldovan Terrace in Stobswell, admitted that on June 12 last year, at a flat in Baldovan Terrace, he produced cannabis.

Dundee Sheriff Court heard the 34-year-old’s drug operation was uncovered when Scottish and Southern Energy staff arrived at his house and detected a strong smell of the Class B drug.

The workers called police, who obtained a search warrant and found a hoard of plants, equipment and other drug paraphernalia.

Fiscal depute Sue Ruta told the court the SSE staff visited Williamson’s property on June 12 and were struck by the suspicious smells. They contacted police who attended his flat later that day and found it unoccupied and locked.

“Officers looked through the letterbox and saw two large fans and what looked like a cultivation,” she said.

The officers acquired a search warrant and gained entry. Inside, they found 35 cannabis plants and other herbal matter, including scales, a laptop, gloves, packages of seeds, a thermometer and other equipment.

All of the items were seized by the police officers and Williamson was arrested two days later.

Ms Ruta added: “On June 14 the accused attended at police HQ and was detained.”

She told the court the potential value of the cultivation, which amounted to between one to three ounces, was estimated by drugs experts at between £6,300-£18,900.

Williamson appeared at Dundee Sheriff Court and pleaded guilty to a charge of producing cannabis earlier this week.

Sheriff Tom Hughes deferred sentence until April 25.

YOUNGSTERS from across Dundee spent the day rehearsing with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra ahead of their performance of Saint Seans’ Symphony No3. Sixty pupils from the central Music Centre programme performed as part of a showcase after...