Sheffield Crown Court: Immigrant with a pepper spray was overseeing cannabis harvest because he feared becoming homeless

By Jon Cooper
Published 19th Sep 2022, 04:45 BST
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A Polish immigrant whose work options had “dried up” has been put behind bars after he was caught looking after two cannabis harvests.

Sheffield Crown Court heard on September 2 how Maciej Mekulski, aged 32, was initially found with cannabis plants at a property on Saint Cuthbert Street, Worksop, and was subsequently found at another property on Newton Street, at East Dene, Rotherham, while he was on bail with even more cannabis plants.

Brian Outhwaite, prosecuting, said police officers executed a search warrant at the address in Worksop in September, 2021, and found 24 cannabis plants and associated growing equipment.

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He added: “They were informed by the landlord of suspicious activity going on at the premises. They saw this defendant run from the rear of the address and a search was carried out throughout the address.”

Pictured is Maciej Mekulski, aged 32, of Newton Street, East Dene, Rotherham, who was sentenced at Sheffield Crown Court to 28 months of custody. after he pleaded guilty to abstracting electricity, possessing an offensive weapon namely a pepper spray, and producing class B drug cannabis at a property on St Cuthbert Street, Worksop, and he pleaded guilty to producing class B drug cannabis at a property on Newton Street, Rotherham.Pictured is Maciej Mekulski, aged 32, of Newton Street, East Dene, Rotherham, who was sentenced at Sheffield Crown Court to 28 months of custody. after he pleaded guilty to abstracting electricity, possessing an offensive weapon namely a pepper spray, and producing class B drug cannabis at a property on St Cuthbert Street, Worksop, and he pleaded guilty to producing class B drug cannabis at a property on Newton Street, Rotherham.
Pictured is Maciej Mekulski, aged 32, of Newton Street, East Dene, Rotherham, who was sentenced at Sheffield Crown Court to 28 months of custody. after he pleaded guilty to abstracting electricity, possessing an offensive weapon namely a pepper spray, and producing class B drug cannabis at a property on St Cuthbert Street, Worksop, and he pleaded guilty to producing class B drug cannabis at a property on Newton Street, Rotherham.

Mekulski was also found to have tampered with the electricity at the Worksop property, according to Mr Outhwaite, and he had abstracted £1,689 worth of unpaid power.

Police revealed how they found a baseball bat with screws in it and Mekulski also directed officers to a pepper spray that he had in his possession.

Mr Outhwaite added that while Mekulsi was on bail police raided a property on Newton Street, at East Dene, Rotherham, in April, 2022, where they found the defendant with 87 cannabis plants and more growing equipment including transformers, lighting and fans.

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Mekulski, of Newton Street, Rotherham, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to abstracting electricity, possessing an offensive weapon namely the pepper spray, and to two counts of producing class B drug cannabis.

Defence barrister Peter Byrne said Mekulski came to the UK originally to visit his partner and he had wanted to work in the building trade but ended up working at a car wash and his relationship broke down.

Mr Byrne said Mekulski stayed at the two concerned properties and he added: “His work dried up and he struggled to meet living costs and would have been homeless.”

Mekulski aims to return to Poland and find work as a builder as soon as he is released from custody, according to Mr Byrne.

Judge David Dixon who sentenced Mekulski to 28 months of custody told him: “If you come before court again you will find yourself in substantial difficulties.”