Spared jail after admitting growing his own cannabis

A Stirling man who grew cannabis at home to feed his own drug habit has been spared jail.

Richard Mowatt, of Strathmore Drive, was at one point smoking up to seven grammes of the Class B drug each day.

And court charges state that on July 24 last year, at his home address, he was concerned in the production of the drug.

Appearing at Stirling Sheriff Court this week he was ordered to undertake 120 hours of unpaid community work in the next six months.

Defence solicitor Virgil Crawford confirmed that Mowatt, once a regular drug user, has since scaled down his substance abuse.

He said:“He has pleaded guilty to an amended charge – this was production and not supply.

“This is a man who has his own tenancy, has an adult daughter, has his own employment and accepts that, last year, he had been growing cannabis.

“It was for his own use and in the past he has had more of a problem with it than he does now. Previously he would smoke seven grammes a day and now he only uses the drug on days he isn’t working to stop him going back on heroin, which he hasn’t used since 2013.

“Clearly custody is an option, but I would ask you to deal with him without a custodial sentence.”

Sheriff William Gilchrist said: “The report does indicate that you have moved on from heroin and reduced your cannabis use, but you are still appearing in court and telling us that you are breaking the law. It is a crime – you should stop it. I am going to deal with this by way of a community payback order with unpaid work.”