South Yorkshire man “ruined his life” by going into the cannabis business

Police discovered 42 plants in a rear bedroom when they raided Jack Crossley's home in Barnsley, in March 2019, prosecutor Chloe Fordham said on Wednesday.

But only 12 of the plants would have produced a crop and there was no evidence he had sold any.

Amy Earnshaw, mitigating, said Crossely, who works in a hydroponics outlet, has been “battling depression and anxiety for a lengthy time.”

He began smoking cannabis from the age of 14 and was a “proper user from 18,” she said.

"He says this foolish decision has ruined his life," said Ms Earnshaw. "He reduced his cannabis intake by 90 per cent, and he is now free of cannabis."

Custody would affect his partner, who is also poorly, and could lead to the loss of their home, she added.

"He knows he has made a big mistake,” Ms Earnshaw said. “He knows he only has himself to blame.”

The impact of court proceedings and the prospect of custody made him feel suicidal, the court heard on Wednesday.

Crossley, 28, of Sycamore Street, Barnsley, pleaded guilty to cannabis production.

Judge Graham Reeds QC told him the sentence would be suspended “because of your fragile mental health,” and because there was “no evidence you had been selling” and he had “stayed out of trouble for so long.”

The judge sentenced him to six months, suspended for a year, and ordered him to carry out 150 hours unpaid work.

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