Pensioner: I grew drugs (From Warrington Guardian)

Pensioner: I grew drugs

A PENSIONER who served in the merchant navy is facing jail after admitting growing cannabis at home to ease his chronic arthritis.

Halton Magistrates Court heard that widower Leslie Williams' home was raided by the drugs squad last month, and 20 cannabis plants and cultivating equipment were found inside an indoor greenhouse.

The court heard that the 73-year-old told officers demanding to know if he was growing drugs: "Yes. In the back bedroom."

Inside his semi in Stone Barn Lane, Palacefields, they found a purpose-built, floor-to-ceiling greenhouse, cannabis plants and various equipment, prosecutor Lesley Vickers said.

The former chef's solicitor, Adam Wright, told the court that his client, who has had four strokes and who lost his wife to ill health last year, was growing the plants for his own personal use because he didn't want to buy from drug dealers.

"In some ways his self-medicating is reducing the costs on the NHS for treating his arthritis," Mr Wright said.

Chairman David Bettles passed the case on to crown court for sentencing after hearing that Mr Williams, who pleaded guilty at the first opportunity to cultivating the class C drug, had received a caution for a similar offence last year.

"There seems to have been an awful lot of planning and consideration going into the cultivation of these cannabis plants and in light of that we don't feel our sentencing powers are sufficient," he said.

Afterwards, Williams said he was 'surprised and disappointed' by the decision.

He will be sentenced at Warrington Crown Court next month.