Police uncover drugs farm in South Yorkshire home

Police were called to the address on Henley Grove Road where Aurelijus Misiunas lived and discovered nine cannabis plants in a first floor bedroom, on June 22, 2018.

Prosecutor Robert Sandford said the electricity meter had been bypassed and there was "specialist equipment" to speed up the grow, housed in black, silver-lined tent.

Tests revealed the plants could yield as much as 956 grammes, which could be sold in £10 deals to earn £9,450.

Cash to the value of £1,617 was found and confiscated.

The court heard that a postal requisition was issued in January 2019 calling him to court in February, but he failed to turn up, and an arrest warrant was executed until January 29, this year.

Misiunas, a Lithuanian national with no previous convictions, told police he planned to smoke some of the cannabis, give some to friends, and sell the rest.

Chris Aspinall, mitigating, said: "I can't argue it crosses the custodial threshold."

Misiunas, 44, of Aldred Street, Rotherham, pleaded guilty to production of cannabis at Sheffield Magistrates Court, on January 30, this year.

Judge David Dixon imposed a community order with 200 hours of unpaid work.

He told Misiunas: "You will pick up litter, clean gardens and do whatever is asked of you for the benefit of the community and if you fail to do that, you will come back to my court and I will send you jail.”