South Yorkshire Police release photo of 'gardener' who tended cannabis harvest

Sheffield Crown Court heard on February 8 how Vilius Laurinskas, aged 23, was found at a property on Allan Street, in Clifton, Rotherham, where he had been living during a police raid which uncovered cannabis plants in an upstairs room with lights and transformers.

Katherine White, prosecuting, said that following the raid police found 51 cannabis plants, lights, transformers and a device for drying cannabis along with a laptop, a cell phone, scales, £427 in cash and four passports from El Salvador.

Laurinskas, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to producing the class B drug cannabis after the raid on Novermber 15, last year.

Recorder Richard Wright QC told Laurinskas: “You have pleaded guilty to playing your part in the production and cultivation of cannabis. This was a significant operation with 51 plants capable of producing significant quantities of cannabis for onward distribution."

Francis Edusei, defending, said Laurinskas arrived in the UK five years ago and he had worked in factories and had lived with relatives.

Mr Edusei added: “He embarked upon growing these plants on behalf of others and he accepts there was a financial motive behind it. He was the gardener.”

Laurinskas has been remanded in custody for three months and he hopes to move away from a life of crime, according to Mr Edusei.

Recorder Wright QC who accepted Laurinskas had been involved at the lower end of the operation as a gardener sentenced him to 20 months of custody.