MAN, 26, ‘OFFERED £5,000’ TO LOOK AFTER CANNABIS FACTORY

Now he is facing deportation after being jailed for 20 months

ALBANIAN Marjus Metchu faces deportation – after being caught inside a cannabis factory.

The 26-year-old was arrested in August after spending two months inside a Fenton house watering 115 cannabis plants.

The plants had a value of between £26,000 and £39,000 if sold wholesale – and £63,000 if sold on the street.

Now Metchu has been jailed for 20 months at Stoke-on-trent Crown Court.

Police raided the Colville Street property on August 22 after receiving a tip-off. A man who was in the backyard fled inside the property when he saw the police.

Prosecutor Olivia Beesley said: “The police officer asked the man if he lived at the address. The man replied, ‘Me no speak English’.

“The officer could smell cannabis coming from the property. They entered and could see large cannabis plants growing.

“The defendant was arrested. He was searched and a mobile was seized with £145 cash.

“There were numerous rooms which contained plants, lighting and fans. There were 115 cannabis plants in total.”

In his police interview, the defendant said he had been in the country for five months after entering illegally in a lorry.

He had been at the house for two months and it was his job to water the plants. He was to be paid £5,000 but he had not received the money. He intended to send the money back to his family in Albania as they are very poor and his mum is sick.

Metchu, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to producing a class B drug.

Caroline Harris, mitigating, said: “He was unemployed and was offered £5,000 to carry out the work he did. He did not receive a penny of that.

“He is keen to return to Albania as soon as possible. His desperation in Albania led him to the UK and his desperation in the UK led to his offending.”

Metchu is expected to serve half of his sentence in custody. Judge Sally Hancox told him: “Within the city of Stoke-on-trent there is a real difficulty with people who take illegal drugs. Whatever drug it is, it causes misery in their lives.”