‘Grow-your-own’ cannabis couple fined

AN OBAN couple who bought a grow-your- own kit online from eBay ended up in Oban Court on Tuesday charged with possession of cannabis.

Police who raided 3a Millpark Terrace, the home of Eion Smith, 40, and his partner Melissa McLaughlin, 25, on November 20, 2015 found three cannabis plants in a tent in the couple’s spare bedroom, complete with lighting, electric fan and ventilation ducts. Both of them admitted producing cannabis, a controlled Class B drug, and McLaughlin also admitted possessing heroin.

Procurator Fiscal Eoin McGinty said the plants were in ‘a reasonably advanced state of cultivation’ and each plant had a potential yield with a street value of £ 500.

‘Police had received intelli- gence and obtained a search warrant for the premises,’ he added.

Both Smith and McLaughlin were open with the police and Smith told them: ‘There’s heroin under the couch and a bit on a tooter.’

Mr Edward Thornton, defence agent for the couple, said that both had been casual users of cannabis but that McLaughlin had begun ‘for some months to develop a very heavy cannabis habit’.

The decision to buy the growing kit from eBay was to make themselves less vulnerable to dealers.

‘How many times have I heard that over the years,’ said Sheriff Anderson QC. ‘They obviously spent a considerable amount of money setting this up in the spare bedroom.’

Mr Thornton said: ‘Both were quite candid that this was for their own personal use.’

Since the time of their arrest McLaughlin had stopped drug use entirely, Mr Thornton added.

Sheriff Anderson fined Smith £600 and McLaughlin £ 500 for the cannabis production; McLaughlin was admonished for the possession of heroin.