Darren Andrew Kelly pleads guilty to growing weed plants

A NSW North Coast man pleads guilty to cultivating cannabis after an aerial photo of a paddock put police on the scent.

A North Coast man has been caught illegally cultivating cannabis plants after a NSW PolAir helicopter took an aerial photo of the region, according to police documents.

Darren Andrew Kelly, 57, pleaded guilty to cultivating a prohibited plant in his Brooklet back paddock at Byron Bay Local Court on September 12.

The 40 cannabis sativa plants were located on February 25, 2021 and 27 of these plants on the property were greater than one metre tall, according to police.

Darren Andrew Kelly walks out of Byron Local Court.

Kelly was not home when the police arrived at his door after the discovery so they received permission from his partner to search the property, who told police she had no idea there were so many plants, police state.

“He told me he was just growing a few,” she told police.

In court, Kelly said he was growing the plants for personal use to relieve pain following a recent motorcycle incident, but magistrate Karen Stafford said this was no excuse.

Kelly was convicted, fined $800 and must abide by a conditional release order for a three-year period.