Men caught in Telford house with cannabis plants worth almost £40,000 avoid jail

Stefan Mattox and Matthew Grant, who were arrested at the house in November 2019, admitted cultivating cannabis before a judge but received suspended sentences.

At Shrewsbury Crown Court on Thursday Mattox was given a 24-month prison sentence and Grant 20 months. Judge Peter Barrie said he would suspend their sentences because the offences were now three years and seven months old.

He said had the cases come to court promptly and not been held up by the Covid pandemic and delays in the police investigation, he would have imposed immediate sentences.

But he said he was suspending the sentences for two years because the defendants had had no involvement in drugs since.

Grant, 31, of Station Road, Donnington, admitted the cultivation of cannabis in November 2019.

Mattox, 33, of Burford, Brookside, admitted the cultivation of cannabis in November 2019 and the possession of a taser-type weapon.

He also admitted offences relating to the following April of possession of class A and class B drugs with intent to supply and was given a 15-month sentence to run concurrently with the 24-month sentence.

Mr Philip Beardwell, prosecuting, said police carried out a drugs warrant at a house in Telford and in a room upstairs found 72 cannabis plants of varying sizes along with a heating and ventilation system.

There was dried cannabis in bags and boxes and other drug paraphernalia, while in Mattox's bedroom police found a taser-like weapon.

He said the plants could have yielded cannabis with a street value of £39,600 while picked cannabis and cannabis bud was worth about £10,000.

In April police found Mattox in possession of wraps of both cannabis and cocaine.

Gemma Gordon, for Mattox, said he had not been involved in drugs since.

He had trained as a ground worker and was self-employed. Unfortunately he had recently suffered a leg injury and was currently unable to work, she said.

"Since getting employment his mental health has improved," she said.

Debra White, for Grant, said at the time of his offence he had been using large amounts of cannabis which is why he became involved in the production.

She said the death of his father and his arrest had been the turning point in his life.

"He has been diagnosed with ADHD which is a relief to him. He now realises he was self-medicating with cannabis."