A London home rented by a Robert Louis Stevenson w

A London home rented by a Robert Louis Stevenson was discovered to be
a treasure island of drugs, a court heard.

Police investigating a completely unconnected affair raided the North
London property and stumbled on a cannabis farm being nurtured by the 38-year-old.

As well as 285 baby cannabis plants, officers discovered a ‘domestic
hydroponic chamber’ in a bedroom – complete with facilities for lighting and feeding the illicit crop.

Stevenson, originally from Belfast, was also found in possession of more than 307g of herbal cannabis, over 3kg of cannabis resin, and 907g of amphetamine sulphate.

Southwark Crown Court heard the defendant was a rookie cannabis farmer
making his first attempt at cultivation – guided by a video ‘A Sea of
Green.

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But he claimed the crop discovered at Seaford Road, Walthamstow, e London, would have been for his own use when it matured – helping him overcome the pain of an earlier accident.

Stevenson also told police he was babysitting the other drugs for the weekend for a dealer who would reward him with cannabis in return.

The defendant, now of Old Farm Road, East Finchley, n London, admitted
cultivating cannabis.

He also pleaded guilty to possession of the remaining drugs last August with intent to supply – the court accepting it was a technical offence as any supply would be the return to the dealer.

But jailing him for a total of 15 months, Judge Christopher Hardy said
despite Stevenson claiming he was growing the crop for his own use ‘it had the potential to be grown commercially in this quite sophisticated way.

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He said such offences had to be ‘discouraged.

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He also told the unemployed defendant by keeping a drug dealer’s stash safe he was ‘undermining society’s battle against drugs’ which also had to be deterred.

The judge was told that Stevenson had suffered a hammer attack by friends of the unnamed dealer ‘angry’ at losing his wares.

But he said the size of the seizure meant it was impossible to impose anything but a custodial sentence.

Stevenson’s equipment was also legally kidnapped by court order.

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