By James Simons-
A woman from Leeds escaped jail after she was given a 12-month community order and told she must part in a 20-day rehabilitation activity requirement and complete 50 hours of unpaid work after she was caught growing a large amount of cannabis in her home.
The mother had faced the prospect of a jail sentence, but her lawyer, Rukhshanda Hussain, managed to persuade the judge to opt for a lighter sentence because of the circumstances behind her decision to grow a cannabis plant, and the fact she had three children dependent on her.
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Yorkshire Police discovered plants worth an estimated £8,000 growing a property in Armley, Leeds and arrested Vicky Hill after her former partner reported the woman to police. Cops also discovered 31 smaller plants and 500 seedlings were also recovered.
Leeds Crown Court heard that Vicky Hill was arrested at the house on Congress Street on February 9 last year after Hill’s partner he was concerned about their 16-year-old daughter who was at the property.
Gill, 42, tried to cops stop them from going upstairs when they arrived to search the property, but trained officers immediately smelt a rat given her very suspicious behaviour. The house also had a strong smell of cannabis. Cops uncovered eight mature plants were found in a bedroom along with extractor fans, plant food and information on how to produce the class B drug. An area for growing cannabis was also discovered in the attic.
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The court heard the mature plants were capable of producing cannabis worth up to £8,400.Gill claimed that she had been ordered to grow the plants in her home to clear the debt and some of the class B drug would then be given to her for personal use.
Rukhshanda Hussain, mitigating, said Gill’s two youngest children live with her and a prison sentence for her client would have a devastating effect on them.
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