A BUNGLING “electrician” was millimetres from certain death when his drill almost touched a live wire while he was bypassing the electricity meter at a cannabis farm.

Simon Barron was responsible for what an expert called to the Bradford house described as “one of the worst attempts at bypassing the electricity meter I have seen.”

The meter door had been broken open and Barron’s hammer drill was found stuck in the wall, prosecutor Danielle Gilmour told Bradford Crown Court.

Barron, 44, of Botany Avenue, Swain House, Bradford, pleaded guilty to attempting to divert electricity.

In the dock with him were father and son Andrew and Gareth McGregor who admitted production of cannabis at an address in Poplar Road, Wibsey, on December 31, 2018.

Miss Gilmour told the court that the police went to the address at 11am after reports of a possible burglary.

They found the three men at the house and a 20 plant cannabis grow in a bedroom, along with fans, lighting equipment, plant food and cannabis seedlings.

Barron told the police he was fixing the alarm and putting in another electricity cable.

Miss Gilmour said the drill was a few millimetres away from touching the live wire.

“That would have killed him instantly and thrown him into the wall of the next property,” she said.

“There was significant risk of injury to persons and damage to property.”

The police also seized £985 in cash from the address.

Andrew McGregor, 57, of Muirhead Drive, Tong, Bradford, said he knew about the cannabis but was not involved with the grow. He had turned a blind eye to it.

Gareth McGregor, 28, of Harrogate Terrace, Undercliffe, Bradford, told the police he was pressured into growing cannabis.

That pressure had come about because he owned money after damaging a car in an accident, the court heard.

Robin Frieze, Gareth McGregor’s barrister, said the offence was 14 months ago and his client was now leading an honest and industrious life.

Ian Howard, for Andrew McGregor, said he was providing assistance to his son.

He too had kept out of the trouble since and was a hardworking member of the community.

Giles Bridge, for Barron, said he played a limited role in the enterprise.

Barron now recognised the potentially lethal nature of what he did, the court was told.

Judge Jonathan Rose told Barron: “You, being devoid of any electrical skill, had the capacity to kill yourself and it maybe that the public would have had little sympathy with you if you had.”

Gareth McGregor was jailed for two years, suspended for two years.

Andrew MacGregor was jailed for 12 months, suspended for two years, and Barron was jailed for 15 weeks, also suspended for two years.

Gareth McGregor must do 280 hours of unpaid work and his father and Barron 180 hours.

The drugs and the money seized by the police were confiscated, the court was told.