Pair jailed after Wellington cannabis farm discovered as smell ‘so strong’

Shefski Meni, 45, and Kristian Ndreka, 24, said they had been hired to clean rubbish from a property in Avondale Road in April this year, but were arrested after the smell of cannabis coming from the house “became too strong” for a neighbour, who called police.

The duo pleaded guilty in April this year to producing the Class B drug cannabis and appeared in Shrewsbury Crown Court on Friday for sentencing.

Prosecuting, Andrew Wallace, said: “A neighbour in Avondale road heard drilling and banging noises coming from the address.

“When the smell of cannabis became too strong to live with, she called the police.

“She had seen people coming and going from that address, including Mr Ndreka on a number of occasions.

“Police arrived on April 15, just before midday. They found a van parked at the side of the house. Mr Ndreka had been driving it there. Inside the van were cannabis plants, paraphernalia and equipment for growing cannabis.

“Inside the property were 60 cannabis plants being grown in three separate rooms.

“In the rear bedroom was a bag containing 2.3kg of cannabis that had been cut. The two defendants appeared to be clearing up after having acquired that crop.”

A drugs expert calculated the 60 plants had a street value of between £9,600 to £43,000, the court was told.

Sophisticated

Mr Wallace added: “I should say that this was a sophisticated operation that involved bypassing electricity with the installation of numerous fans, lights and air vents.

“The defendant Meni said he had gone to the property to clean the rooms of rubbish. Mr Ndreka said he had been paid £500 by a Polish man to clear the house, but it is of note that Mr Ndreka had been seen at the house at least five times by a neighbour.”

Defending Meni, of no fixed address, barrister Daniel Murray highlighted the wide street value estimation of the drugs and said Meni had already spent nearly six months in custody.

Defending Ndreka, of High Street South, Rushden, in Northamptonshire, barrister Peter Guest added: “Mr Ndreka had been working in this country as a builder, but the business he was involved in came to an end in the early part of this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.”

Sentencing, judge Anthony Lowe, said: “I’m satisfied that you were both aware of what was going on in that house and that each of you played an important part in the cultivation of cannabis and its collection, the emphasis being on the collection and then of course its later distribution, albeit that would have been done by others.

“I’m not suggesting you were responsible for the setting up of this operation, nor that you were responsible for bypassing the electricity, but you would have been aware of the amount of cannabis being produced, the number of rooms being used and the fact this property was simply a means of producing cannabis.”

Meni and Ndreka were both sentenced to 13 months in prison, to serve half.