Gordon and Daniel Alan Stammers face Lismore Court on drug charges

Police found 29 plants, $3940 in cash and a hydroponic growth system in the pair’s home. Here’s what gave them away.

Alstonville men Gordon and Daniel Ian Stammers faced Lismore Court on Monday to plead guilty to drug charges.

An Alstonvale father and son used an extensive hydroponic marijuana set up in their home to grow the drug for themselves and others, a court has heard.

Gordon Stammers, 68, and son Daniel Alan Stammers, 40, faced Lismore Local Court on Monday.

Gordon pleaded guilty to cultivation of a prohibited plant, supply of a prohibited plant, possession of a prohibited plant and recklessly dealing with the proceeds of crime.

His son pleaded guilty to cultivation of a prohibited plant, supply of a prohibited plant and possession of a prohibited plant.

The court was told the charges related to a tip off Richmond police officers received on August 9.

According to agreed facts, Daniel led police to his dad’s bedroom when officers arrived at their Wenga Dr property.

Police found a container of marijuana and $2400 in cash.

He then showed police another container containing $1540 and marijuana as well as four cryovac plastic bags containing the drug.

The total weight of the marijuana was 2.795kg.

Officers also found 25 marijuana seeds.

At that stage, Gordon told police that he “supplies cannabis to people who need it”.

Daniel told police a further 710g of marijuana found in shoeboxes was for his own personal use.

He then took officers to the first growing set up, which was in a room downstairs.

It contained seven plants grown in pots in a hydroponic growth system, with high wattage lights suspended above the plants and a water reticulation system feeding nutrient rich water to the plants.

Exhaust and upright fans were also providing climate control to the plants.

Police then found a tent nearby containing 22 plants that were growing in a similar set up.

Daniel said the grow room had been set up for by his father but that he also maintained the plants and police deemed it a “joint criminal enterprise”.

Texts messages such as “hey bro can you make up two halves if ya can” were also found on Daniel’s phone.

The father and son’s solicitor, Jim Fuggle, told the court on Monday the older Stammers faced a series of serious health problems which had led to him growing the plants for his own use.

Magistrate Jeff Linden accepted the health submissions but noted there “needs to be incentive not to do it again”.

He convicted both men on all charges and sentenced them to a 12-month intensive corrections order.