‘GARDENER’ FOUND WITH £45K OF CANNABIS PLANTS IS JAILED
‘Family man’ never received his £600 payment
A PAINTER, decorator and plasterer who moved to the UK six years ago was found in a property filled with cannabis plants.
Dumitru-daniel Dunca, aged 39, was discovered inside a property in Oldfield Road, Fenton, following a raid by Staffordshire Police.
Officers also found 122 cannabis plants weighing 6.59kg during the operation on March 2. The value was more than £45k.
The dad-of-one was charged with production of cannabis and initially pleaded not guilty before admitting his guilt three weeks before his trial.
Now Dunca has been jailed for 15 months. Darron Whitehead, prosecuting, said police discovered cannabis plants with lighting, fans, extractors and vents during the raid.
He added: “Three rooms were being used to grow cannabis. There was a lowest value of £26k and the highest value of more than £45k. When interviewed he answered with no comment.”
Dunca moved to the UK from Romania six years ago and has a partner and eight-year-old son back home, who he has been providing for.
Bryan Williams, mitigating said: “He accepts that he went into this property and was involved for a number of days. He has no previous convictions. He is a family man who came here six years ago from Romania to build a better lifestyle and send money home.
“He paid his taxes and made a positive contribution to this country. His mother became ill and he had to return home. When he went he didn’t fill in his tax return and when he came back he wasn’t able to work.
“He had no money. Within a short amount of time he went from someone who contributed to society to being in a difficult position. It led him to be involved in this.
“He was told he would get work. He was driven to Stoke-on-trent. He waited for the people who were going to pay him £600 but they never turned up. The next people to arrive were the police. He should’ve accepted what he did but he was scared.
“He has turned a corner. He has been able to resume work.”
Sentencing him to an immediate prison term, Judge Paul Glenn said: “You pleaded not guilty when this matter was first listed. That was not wise given the strength of the prosecution case.
“It was a professional set-up. You had two phones and there were keys to the property in the front door. When interviewed you chose to say nothing. Your fingerprints were found on a lightbulb in the loft.
“Your role is as a gardener. You were never paid. You are a hard-working man. I accept you are ashamed.”