User set up cannabis factory to fund habit
A CANNABIS user who was smoking an ounce a week told the police he set up a cannabis factory in order to fund his addiction.
Gareth Boast was found to have 26 plants in his home, which an expert estimated could have produced more than 2,000g with a potential street value of nearly £20,000. Speaking at Cardiff Crown Court, prosecutor Leah Pollard said: “There was clearly a significant operation in place.”
The court heard officers searched a property on Duffryn Road in Caerau, Maesteg, on November 7, 2018. Boast was there and was found to have two white tablets, which he stated were prescription medication.
Ms Pollard said the police went to his home to check the prescription and found 26 cannabis plants in a bedroom. Boast stated he smoked 4g of cannabis a day and the officer said the plants found would have produced “far in excess” of that quantity, indicating a commercial set-up.
His partner, Rachel Williams, was also at the address and denied any involvement with the cultivation, saying she never went into that room.
She later accepted she knew there was cannabis in the room, but had no part in growing it. She stated she had been told there were four plants there and did not know there were 26.
The court heard police went back to the address on December 13 last year and found cocaine, cannabis and amphetamine.
Boast, 40 from Margam Street in Maesteg, admitted producing cannabis, possessing cocaine with intent to supply, possessing amphetamine and possessing cannabis.
Giles Hayes, defending, said his client started using cannabis to help with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and it led to him using other drugs. He told the court Boast was dealing to a small group of friends in order to fund his own addiction.
Williams, 35, from the same address, admitted allowing her property to be used in the production of cannabis.
Judge Fitton jailed Boast for four years.
He gave Williams an 18-week jail term, suspended for a year, and ordered her to complete 80 hours of unpaid work and 10 days of rehabilitation activity. She must pay a £115 victim surcharge.