Leeds drug farmer locked up after being handed 'lenient' sentence

Dimitrios Sarantavgas was given a 24-month jail term, suspended for 24 months, in October last year after police discovered a huge cannabis grow at the terraced home on Marley View, Cross Flatts.

It was estimated that the cannabis found was worth between £95,000 and £111,000.

But the 46-year-old failed to make contact with probation which he was instructed to do when he left court.

Sarantavgas, who has been held on remand at HMP Leeds, admitted the breach.

Mitigating, Matthew Stewart told the court that his client was a Greek national and was a fruit farmer in his own country, but came to Britain to find work.

He said that he thought he had served his sentence and did not understand letters sent to him by probation because of his lack of basic English.

Mr Stewart said: “In a simple way of putting this, it has been a catastrophic mistake by Mr Sarantavgas.

“He now knows the importance of complying.”

But Judge Mushtaq Khokhar activated the full 24-month sentence, and told Sarantavgas: “Generally speaking, people who produce drugs go to prison.

"In your case the judge took a lenient course of suspending your sentence.

"I do not accept that you did not understand what was being said in court.

"It was your duty to get in touch with the probation service. You did absolutely nothing.”