Council workman stumbles across £42k cannabis cultivation

Maintenance officer immediately reported discovery

A Fife Council workman stumbled across a £42,000 cannabis cultivation while making repairs to a property in Kirkcaldy.

The worker was in the loft space of a neighbouring flat on Kennedy Crescent when he became aware of a “strong smell”.

The building maintenance officer immediately reported his discovery to the police who carried out a raid later that day, December 4.

Flat resident Bartlomiej Kulesza was arrested and charged with producing a controlled drug, which he claimed was to make cannabis oil for personal use.

The 30-year-old appeared at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court where he admitted the charge and sentence was deferred for background reports.

Sheriff Jamie Gilchrist QC was told that officers found 152 plants within three separate areas of the flat which was the home of Kulesza.

Depute fiscal Sarah Lumsden said: “Police obtained a warrant which was executed at 1.30pm. Entry was forced and no persons were found within the property at that time.

“A substantial cannabis cultivation was found within three growing areas within the two bedrooms of the property and the loft space.

“152 plants and 800 grammes of cannabis bud was seized from within.”

She added Kulesza had arrived back at the property a short time later before being arrested and taken to Levenmouth Police Station.

Miss Lumsden said: “He admitted that he was growing cannabis for the purpose of making cannabis oil which he takes for medical reasons but is not prescribed.

“The value of the plants on the street would be £42,000 but the Crown accepts that this cultivation was for the production of the oil which he was not going to sell to anyone else.

“A large amount of plants are needed to make a small amount of oil.”

Kulesza’s not guilty pleas to possessing a Class B drug and supplying a controlled substance were accepted by the Crown.

Sheriff Gilchrist deferred sentence to allow for background reports and a restriction of liberty assessment. Kulesza will reappear on November 29.

The Crown accepts that this cultivation was for the production of the oil which he was not going to sell to anyone else