This is the secret hi-tech bunker a builder made under his garage to grow cannabis in order to fund his daughter’s dream wedding in Jamaica
A court heard yesterday (Jan 17) how Wayne Longley, 47, is now unable to obtain a visa to fly to the West Indies to give his daughter away at the ceremony after he pleaded guilty to producing the class B drug.
Leeds Crown Court heard Longley was well respected within the building trade but began the illegal enterprise when he got into difficulties as a result of the recession.
He came under further financial pressure to fund his daughter’s wedding, due to take place later this year.
Ewan McLachlan, prosecuting, said police searched his home on Latham Lane, Gomersal, near Cleckheaton on November 23, 2011 but left after they were unable to find anything.
They returned the next day and officers discovered a hidden window in his garage which led down to two rooms where 31 cannabis plants were being grown.
The rooms were fitted with high quality equipment capable of producing much higher than expected yields of skunk cannabis.
Longley had also bypassed the electricity supply, using around £5,000 worth of energy to produce around £16,000 worth of the class B drug.
He pleaded guilty to producing cannabis and extracting electricity.
The court heard Longley had no previous convictions, had been in a stable marriage for 25 years and was a well respected self-employed builder.
The court heard his family had suffered by what he had done and the affect on his daughter would be “tremendous” if he could not go to her wedding.
He has now knocked down the garage as a “symbolic gesture” to his family.
Recorder Richard Mansell QC gave Longley an 18 month prison sentence, suspended for two years, and ordered him to do 150 hours unpaid work.