MAGISTRATES at Llanelli heard the case of a Kidwelly man charged with cannabis growing on Thursday (Mar 12). Mark Adams Jones, of Abbey Street, pleaded guilty to the charge. The prosecutor told Magistrates that police officers had called at Jones’ brother-in law’s house on an unrelated matter, and became suspicious after finding a bedroom door was padlocked shut.
Upon opening the door, they found 11 cannabis plants, which were in poor condition. When confronted, Jones made a full admission, and stated that the plants were for his own personal use. It was also revealed that Jones had previous convictions for cultivating cannabis. Defending Jones, Mike Reed said that the defendant had not intended to grow so many plants, and had only expected two would survive. He also said that a number of the plants were male, and would not have yielded any cannabis and stressed that the crop would have been for Jones’ personal use.
Referring to Jones’ health problems, Mr Reed told the court that the defendant had originally been a builder by trade. However, in 2007, he had started to suffer from osteoarthritis, and had two prolapsed discs in his spine. After trying prescription painkillers and suffering with adverse side-effects, he had started taking cannabis for medicinal reasons. Referring to the pain-relieving benefits of cannabis, Mr Reed added that it was entirely likely that in the not too distant future, the drug would be available on prescription for cases like that of Jones.
Probation worker Mike Jenkins told the court that Jones, a full-time carer for his brother-in-law, was not suited to a supervision order. “Even if it causes him pain, he will carry out unpaid work,” he added. Describing the defendant’s persistent drug use as ‘self medicating’, Mr Jenkins finished by saying that ‘Mr Jones realises that one day the courts will have had enough and will issue a custodial sentence. But he hopes that day isn’t today’. Magistrates gave Jones a 12 month community order, with 120 hours of unpaid work stipulated. He was also ordered to pay £145 court costs and victim surcharge.
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