Man jailed for cannabis haul

A Fife man who had a £20,000 cannabis cultivation in his home has been jailed.

A sheriff previously said he was “thunderstruck” by the Crown’s decision to accept Christopher Hagan’s not guilty plea to producing cannabis.

This was despite a large plantation being discovered in a police raid on Hagan’s home.

Two tents were set up and plants were at various stages of growth, Dunfermline Sheriff Court was told.

Hagan, 43, of the town’s Robertson Road, admitted that between April 1 and August 31 last year he was concerned in the supply of cannabis.

His not guilty plea to a charge of producing cannabis at his home between the same dates was accepted.

Sheriff Charles MacNair said: “I’m thunderstruck by this agreed plea.”

Depute-fiscal Kyrsten Buist said police received a tip-off and attended Hagan’s home.

When he answered, officers could detect a strong smell of cannabis and Hagan said he regularly smoked it.

When police searched the house they found cannabis with an estimated street value of £20,000. Hagan told them it was for his own use, that he also exchanged it for heroin and that he gave it to other medicinal users for a “nomimal” fee.

Solicitor Stephen Morrison said: “He has a number of ailments which he says are helped by him taking cannabis.”

Sheriff MacNair jailed Hagan for nine months.