Timothy John Allen pleads guilty to growing cannabis in purpose-built grow room
A southern suburbs man found with a purpose-built marijuana grow room in his shed has faced court.
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A McLaren Vale man has escaped conviction after pleading guilty to growing cannabis in a purpose-built grow room.
Timothy John Allen, 45, was charged with possessing prescribed equipment and cultivating cannabis.
He pleaded guilty in the Christies Beach Magistrates Court this week.
Police found 19 cannabis plants in a purpose-built grow room inside a McLaren Vale shed on October 17 last year.
Eight of the cannabis plants were being grown under hydroponic lights and another 11 were found in plastic box under UV lights.
Police also found 10 light shades, 25 globes, 10 electrical transformers and two light shades with built in electrical transformers.
A police prosecutor told the court Allen, who owns his own gardening business, admitted to growing the plants which were all under 20cm.
“He stated he grows the cannabis for personal use and he understood it was an offence to grow cannabis,” he said.
In sentencing, Magistrate Rodney Oates said he would take Allen’s lack of criminal record and early guilty plea into account.
“There was a lot of equipment and a lot of planning in terms of this operation but I do give you the benefit of the doubt in the sense that you’ve not been in trouble before and you won’t grow cannabis again,” he said.
Mr Oates fined Allen $1200 and did not record a conviction.