By James Simons-
A vietnamese mum-of-three from West Yorkshire has been jailed after she had been trafficked and forced to work as a “babysitter” has been jailed following the discovery of an £85,000 cannabis farm in a semi-detached house in Bradford.
A judge today rejected Gai Nguyen’s story after hearing that the 61-year-old had previous convictions in Manchester for her involvement in other cannabis grows.
Jurors at Bradford Crown Court heard that concerned neighbours alerted police about the insecure property on Ewart Street in July and when officers turned up they discovered a camp-bed, clothing and suitcases in the kitchen.
Prosecutor Austin Newman said three bedrooms in the property were transformed into cannabis growing areas and the electricity meter had been bypassed to power the set up.
In total police found 155 cannabis plants in various stages of growth and Mr Newman said the crop could have yielded 8.53 kilograms of skunk cannabis.
He told the court the crop could have had a black market value of up to £85,000 if sold in street deals.
Nguyen was arrested by police when she returned to the property from a shopping trip during which she had bought food and clothing.
She had a mobile phone and just over £100 in cash and Mr Newman said it was clear she had the freedom to come and go from the premises.
After her arrest Nguyen told police she had been working as a “babysitter” at various locations in the country because she owed money back in Vietnam.
The court heard that in 2015 Nguyen was jailed in Manchester for 15 months for her role in another cannabis farm.
Jailing Nguyen for 25 months Recorder Peter Hampton said: “You said you were there to babysit children. That was a lie.
“The reality is in my view you have been criminally involved in organised crime through your own free will and you have done so in the past.
“You were playing your part in that black market trade and the damage that skunk cannabis can do to the people who use it.”