A Cordeaux Heights man caught with a sophisticated hydroponic cannabis set up has told a Wollongong court he was growing it for medicinal purposes for a friend.
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Adrian Davis was busted with 71 plants of varying maturity when police raided his Gipps Street warehouse last September.
He told officers at the time he was solely responsible for the operation and planned on selling “about half” of what he grew to pay debts.
However, Davis gave a different account of his foray into the drug trade in Wollongong District Court on Friday, saying his friend Bradley Hindmarsh had suggested the enterprise and supplied all the equipment.
The court heard Hindmarsh, from Sydney’s north-west, was caught growing $1.4 million worth of cannabis in a warehouse at Riverstone early last year.
Upon his arrest, Hindmarsh told officers he only grew the plants to supply cannabis to sick and dying people and made no profit from his operation.
Hindmarsh has since pleaded guilty to commercial cultivation charges.
In court on Friday, Davis said the plan had been for him to sell all the cannabis he grew to Hindmarsh, who would on-supply it to sick patients.
“How much would you be paid?” Davis’ lawyer asked.
”Between $1,000 and $2,000 a pound, depending on the quality,” Davis responded, saying he would have been happy to make “maybe $20,000” out of the venture.
The court heard Davis’ crop had an estimated street value of $226,000.
Davis told the court he had not disclosed Hindmarsh’s involvement in the illegal operation when originally questioned by police as he “didn’t want to incriminate anyone else”.
The 46-year-old admitted his purpose for growing the plants was to turn a profit, saying he was in a dire financial situation.
The court heard Davis had by given $100,000 by his father six months’ earlier following a family inheritance, but had used all of the money to pay bills and loans – and still hadn’t managed to clear his debts.
“I was just trying to get myself out of my financial situation,” he said, adding he was currently only working two days a week.
Judge Paul Conlon adjourned the case to have Davis undergo as assessment for an intensive corrections order.
If deemed suitable, Davis will be able to serve his prison sentence in the community, however will be closely monitored by NSW Corrective Services.
The case will return to court for sentencing on June 24.