Lairg man who grew cannabis in Golspie house is jailed for three years

A Lairg man has been jailed today for three years for being concerned in the production of cannabis plants at a property in Golspie, which had a potential street value of nearly £400,000.

Steven Robinson (42) of Main Street, Lairg, previously admitted at Inverness Sheriff Court producing the Class B drug in a loft at Park Cottage in Sibell Road between June 1, 2013, and February 14, 2014. Sentence had been deferred until today for criminal justice social work reports.

Robinson’s solicitor Duncan Burd said he was aware of the figures mentioned by the prosecution about the potential value of the plants.

But he told Sheriff Gordon Fleetwood none of the plants had been harvested and the real value was just over £15,000 at the time they were discovered.

Sheriff Fleetwood heard last month Robinson had money problems and he and his partner had moved out of the house to another property and he allowed the cottage to be used as a cannabis farm.

Depute fiscal Stewart Maciver said a search warrant was exercised by police on February 24, 2015, and photographs showed the living quarters at the cottage were sparsely furnished but the scale of the cannabis production was uncovered when the loft and attic space was searched.

Mr Maciver said there were plants found in five different zones in the attic at various stages of development and experts estimated the most mature plants were six months old.

The fiscal said humming noises could be heard coming from the cottage and Robinson was seen coming and going from the property for short periods up to six times a day.

Mobile phones were recovered but nothing of evidential value was contained in these and no other drugs equipment was found on the premises other than the plants and the equipment to grow them.

Mr Maciver said at a police interview Robinson told officers he was allowing the property to be used to grow cannabis to pay off debts.

“He was a self-employed handyman but in debt to about £40,000 and his house was about to be repossessed.

“We are not aware of the true identity of those who set up the cannabis farm.”

Mr Burd asked the Sheriff to consider a non-custodial sentence so Robinson could continue to support his 16-year-old son.

He said Robinson was an accomplished handyman and skilled at repairing electrical items and led a frugal lifestyle.

“He is a man of no financial substance and allowed the property to be used for this purpose because they could no longer afford the mortgage.”

He told Sheriff Fleetwood that he had discretion on whether or not Robinson should go to jail.

“It was an organised operation but he was a small player in it,” he said at last month’s hearing.

But jailing him for three years, Sheriff Fleetwood told Robinson he chose to make the premises available for the production of the drug.

“That’s not minor involvement,” he added.

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