Police smashed their way into Leeds suburban home to find £76,000 cannabis 'factory'

Acting on a tip-off, they attended the property on Raylands Way in Middleton and smashed their way inside, finding two rooms filled with a total of 73 cannabis plants.

Experts suggested the farm was capable of producing more than 7kg of the drug, with a street value in excess of £76,000. The usual sophisticated set up was found to help grow the plants, and the electricity had been bypassed, prosecutor Oliver Connor told Leeds Crown Court.

Rolandas Magelinskas, a 60-year-old Lithuanian, was found in an upstairs room and arrested. He was found with keys to the house and his passport, suggesting he was not there under duress. He later admitted a charge of producing cannabis. He has no previous convictions.

Mitigating, Imran Khan said Magelinskas had had only been in Leeds a short time, having been invited to stay at the house and would incur “no overheads”.

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Mr Khan said: “He performed a limited function, essentially as a role of gardener and had no influence on those above him.” He said that Magelinskas disputed that he was in the UK illegally, having arrived through standard channels and had used his passport.

Judge Christopher Batty told the defendant: “This was a sophisticated cannabis factory. Considerable sums had been invested in setting it up and it was producing significant quantities for commercial use. You were drafted in to play an important role.”

He jailed him for 20 months, and can be expected to be deported once he has completed his sentence.