Doncaster teen spared jail for cannabis factory worth thousands of pounds at family home

A team of specialist police officers swooped to raid the home of 18-year-old Kyle Lowther in Walpole Close, Balby, and found nine mature cannabis plants along with seven bags of the Class B drug with a street value of around £7000.

Sheffield Crown Court heard that officers executed a search warrant on December 11 last year and found a sophisticated set up of lights, fans and tents used to grow the plants.

Brian Outhwaite, prosecuting, said officers had discovered five cannabis plants in one bedroom, four in another and seven bags of the drug in a third bedroom.

He said the total haul amounted to about 800g worth of cannabis.

Mr Outhwaite told the court Lowther was arrested at the scene and told police during interview that “they were his and his mother and brother had nothing to do with the plants.”

Mr Outhwaite added that Lowther admitted he was a heavy cannabis user and grew the plans for his own consumption rather than to sell them to others.

He added that he could not explain why Lowther’s mother had not been charged with allowing cannabis to be grown on the premises.

Edward Moss, defending, said Lowther was using up to £60 worth of cannabis per day at the time of the raid.

He added that his client has shown “genuine remorse” for the offence and no longer uses cannabis.

Mr Moss said “he has shown some maturity” and has since turned over a new leaf and as of next week has a job interview with a bathroom and bedroom retailer. The court heard Lowther had two previous convictions for cannabis-related offences.

He pleaded guilty to cannabis production.

Judge Recorder Caroline Wigin imposed a three month jail term suspended for 12 months.

Lowther was also made to complete 200 hours unpaid community work supervised.

Recorder Wigin told him: “You grew this in your mum’s house and your mum was very lucky not to be prosecuted herself.

“You could have given your mum a criminal record.

“If you do this again you will go to prison and that will have a significant affect on your job prospects and indeed on the rest of your life.“