Cannabis Factory man has to pay £10,000
James WILSON, a 25-year-old man from Wolverhampton, has been ordered to pay a £10,000 Confiscation Order as well as serving a 3-year prison sentence for his part in setting up a cannabis hydroponics factory in Four Ashes near Cannock in March 2005.
Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs officers were investigating another matter on the industrial estate when the factory was discovered. Staffordshire Police were called and officers from the Stafford pro-active unit investigated the matter. There were 200 young cannabis plants in production at the site, which could have eventually yielded a value of £112,000. WILSON was arrested after he was linked evidentially to the unit and he was eventually charged with the offence of Production of Cannabis. WILSON had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing and the court also heard of two previous convictions for similar offences in 2004 whilst he was residing at his previous address in Tyburn Road, Erdington, Birmingham.
At Stafford Crown Court on Tuesday 8th August 2006, His Honour Judge Tonking stated that WILSON was responsible for the supply, installation and setting up of the unit, for which WILSON had said that he was to be paid £5,000. The Judge stated that the cannabis plants were in-situ whilst WILSON was still setting up the unit and as such, he must have known that the purpose of the unit was for the unlawful production of cannabis.
WILSON will have to pay the £10,000 confiscation order within 6 months or face a further 9 months imprisonment in addition to the 3 years he received for the offence.
The case highlights the good working relationship that exists between the Midlands RART, who carried out the confiscation, and Staffordshire Police.