Cash-strapped man oversaw Sheffield cannabis crop to pay off £30,000 gambling and cocaine debts

Sheffield Crown Court heard on July 22 how Albanian national Emanuel Marku, aged 22, was found in the attic of a property on Arbourthorne Road, Arbourthorne, Sheffield, where police had discovered 109 cannabis plants during a raid.

Nicola Quinney, prosecuting, said police executed a search warrant at the property on February 22 and discovered a cannabis grow across five rooms including 109 plants and found Marku hiding in the attic.

Ms Quinney added: “The defendant gave a full account in his police interview asserting that he ran up a large debt in Albania due to his gambling and drug abuse.”

Marku claimed his family was threatened, according to Ms Quinney, and he was offered work illegally in a car-wash in the UK to pay off the debt.

But Ms Quinney said Marku claimed he was put to work growing cannabis after he arrived in the UK hidden in a lorry.

She added: "The defendant was told his debt had risen to £30,000 and that he would earn £6,000 per crop that would be deducted from his outstanding balance. The defendant admitted that this was his fourth crop.”

Ms Quinney said 50 of the 109 plants had matured and they were valued at between £25,740 and £40,050.

Marku, of Arbourthorne Road, at Arbourthorne, Sheffield, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to producing class B drug cannabis after the raid.

Derek Barry, defending, told the court Marku had a child who passed away aged three-months and he started using cocaine and gambling.

Mr Barry said: “After that loss the defendant started to use drugs – mainly snorting cocaine – and began to use slot machines, gambling on slot machines.

“Due to the drug-use and gambling he ran up a debt with local characters involved in drug-dealing.”

Mr Barry added Marku will be liable to deportation following his sentence.

Judge Rachael Harrison who sentenced Marku to 15 months of custody told him: “You had on three previous occasions grown cannabis. You were receiving a significant advantage for doing so. Your debt was being reduced.”