Teenager locked up over cannabis farm worth more than £90,000 found at house in Beeston
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Leeds Crown Court heard officers executed a search warrant at a house in Brompton View, Beeston, on September 16 last year.
Bashir Ahmed, prosecuting, said the front door was forced and Duc Nguyen was detained in the living room.
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Hide AdAll three floors of the house had been converted into a cannabis farm.
Rooms were fitted with heating, lighting and growing equipment.
Mr Ahmed said 73 plants in the early stages of growth were found in the cellar.
They were capable of producing around £40,000 worth of the class B drug.
A further 96 seedlings were found on the cellar steps.
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Hide AdAnother 96 plants were found growing in a first floor bedroom and were capable of producing cannabis worth £52,000.
Nguyen was arrested and gave a false date of birth.
His mobile phone was seized but he refused to give officers his password for the device.
The 19-year-old was interviewed and claimed he had been taken to the property by an unknown man and locked inside.
He said the police then raided the house 30 minutes later.
The defendant also claimed he had entered the UK illegally on the back of a lorry.
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Hide AdMr Bashir said Nguyen was unable to explain why the keys to the front door were in the lock from the inside.
He told police they would not find any of his fingerprints or DNA in the property.
His fingerprints were later found on an electrical plug of a heating lamp in the cellar.
His DNA was also found on a face mask of the stairs and on a toothbrush in the bathroom.
Nguyen pleaded guilty to producing cannabis.
The court heard he has no previous convictions in the UK.
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Hide AdNguyen was sent to a young offender institution for two years.
Recorder Jason Pitter QC said: "You were arrested in relation to your involvement in a substantial, significant and sophisticated cannabis production.
"It had all the hallmarks of an ongoing and continuous production which can be viewed as a commercial supply line.
"The cannabis found was in excess of £90,000.
"There was plainly the ability and intention to produce significantly more."