Drug offender caught with cannabis plants worth up to £12,600 is spared from jail

A drug offender who was caught with cannabis plants worth up to £12,600 in his former home has narrowly been spared from prison.
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Sheffield Crown Court heard on October 1 how Warren Barney, aged 55, was found to have 12 plants in a bedroom at the property in Barnsley.

Katy Varlow, prosecuting, said police raided Barney’s home and found 12 plants in a bedroom and an expert said the maximum value for street-dealing for the cannabis grow would have been between £6,600 and £12,600.

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Ms Varlow added: “He told police a gang of males, around seven of them, were responsible and they had gone to the house and threatened him and he said he brought the plants home, carried them upstairs and assisted with the feed.”

A drug-offender has narrowly been spared from jail after police found cannabis plants, similar to those pictured, at his former South Yorkshire home.A drug-offender has narrowly been spared from jail after police found cannabis plants, similar to those pictured, at his former South Yorkshire home.
A drug-offender has narrowly been spared from jail after police found cannabis plants, similar to those pictured, at his former South Yorkshire home.

Barney gave vague descriptions of the men who he said visited his home several times.

The defendant, who has two previous convictions for producing cannabis, pleaded guilty to producing the class B drug after the raid in February.

Vanessa Saxton, defending, said Barney, now of Sutton Avenue, Peaceham, Brighton, moved from the Goldthorpe area where there were negative influences.

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She added Barney is now living with his mother and no longer smokes cannabis.

Judge Peter Kelson QC recognised this charge had not been dealt with previously and together with another charge of producing cannabis for which Barney had been jailed.

He sentenced Barney to six months of custody suspended for two years but warned if he commits new offences during the time of this order he will go to prison.

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