Man calls cops on himself after youths steal his cannabis plants
A MAN has landed himself in the Supreme Court on serious drug charges after he called police to complain that his cannabis plants were being stolen by youths
Northern Territory
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A TENNANT Creek man has landed himself in the Supreme Court on serious drug charges after he called police to complain that his cannabis plants were being stolen by youths.
William Pointon, 61, and Ramon Paton, 56, pleaded guilty to taking part in cultivating cannabis in May 2019.
Defence lawyer Noah Redmond told the court Pointon does not think cannabis should be illegal but he called police because he was concerned it would be in the hands of kids.
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“The fact that he did call police on himself for cultivating cannabis is a very significant factor,” Mr Redmond said.
“Youths were attempting to steal his cannabis and he had a view about the use of cannabis that it should not be illegal. Nevertheless he recognises that it is illegal and it is therefore wrong.
“However that children are not capable of making decisions to whether or not to smoke cannabis and they should not have access to cannabis so he called police to prevent them having access.”
Police searched the house and found 69 plants with some up to 1.5 meters tall.
Police then secured the plants at the Tennant Creek police station.
The court heard Pointon did not sell the plants for money and instead shared it with friends and exchanged it for beer and labour.
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Crown prosecutor Glen Dooley said Pointon told police he had been growing cannabis for decades.
“Pointon participated in a voluntary record of interview in which he made full admissions to cultivating the plants and he had been growing cannabis plants for about 40 years,” he said.
The two men will be sentenced in the NT Supreme Court in Alice Springs on Thursday.
Originally published as Man calls cops on himself after youths steal his cannabis plants