NOT wanting to mix with drug dealers, a South Petherton man decided to grow his own cannabis but was caught red-handed when police searched his home, magistrates heard.

Officers wanted to talk to Darren Leon Spaull about another matter, but when they went into a first floor bedroom at his home they found a three-foot-high cannabis plant on the windowsill.

Growing equipment was also found nearby along with another small plant and he was arrested.

Spaull, 49, of Hospital Lane, admitted producing a quantity of cannabis at his home on July 15 when he appeared before Somerset Magistrates at Yeovil.

Emma Lenanton, prosecuting, said that the police went to the defendant’s home on unrelated matters and discovered a three foot high cannabis plant and growing equipment in the corner of a first floor bedroom.

“A further plant about four inches high was also found along with a small amount of cannabis flowering head, which was in a jar in a bedroom cabinet,” she said.

“Spaull was arrested and following analysis the plants were confirmed as cannabis and the flowering head was 2.1g.

“When he was interviewed he admitted the offences saying that he did not want to be associated with drug dealers and that was why he grew his own as he was a user of the drug.”

Defending, Jeffrey Bannister said that Spaull admitted he was a drug user, but this offence represented a “de-escalation” in his habit.

“When previously cautioned by the police he had a considerable number of plants, but this offence involved just one plant as the second one was only a cutting off the top of it which he had done to stop it growing any higher,” he said.

“He has been suffering with depression for 20 years and it does help him, so he smokes it in the evening before he goes to bed and finds it settles him down.”

He said that the defendant appreciated that growing cannabis was the wrong thing to do and he was now going to get rid of all of his equipment as he was not going to do it again.

The magistrates imposed a 12 month conditional discharge on Spaull and ordered him to pay £85 costs and a £20 victim surcharge. They also made a destruction order for the cannabis.