Paul Mackay busted with 63 cannabis plants in Wonthaggi

A Wonthaggi man busted with 63 cannabis plants said he was only growing them so he wouldn’t have to associate with unsavoury characters.

A Wonthaggi man was busted with 63 cannabis plants in backyard.

A Wonthaggi man who was busted with a large quantity of cannabis plants in his backyard said he grew them himself so he didn’t have to associate with other dealers.

Paul Mackay, 47, pleaded guilty at Korumburra Magistrates Court to charges including cultivating a narcotic plant and using a drug of dependence namely cannabis.

The court heard three months prior to police attending Mackay’s property on October 14, 2019 the Wonthaggi man grew a large amount of cannabis plants.

He placed cannabis seeds in a container of water for germination then used 63 pots containing garden soil to plant the seeds.

He regularly watered the plants and placed them in a sunny position in his backyard.

On October 14, 2019 Mackay used one of cannabis leaves to roll up a joint and smoke it.

At 8:50am police searched his house and found 63 cannabis plants that were 12cm high in his backyard.

Mackay’s lawyer Meaghan Crouch said he was diagnosed with schizophrenia and has a brain injury after falling off a roof.

Ms Crouch said Mackay has previously tried to grow cannabis in his early 20s.

“He grew it on this occasion because he didn’t have any friends in Wonthaggi and he didn’t want to associate with people dealing cannabis so he decided to grow it himself,” she said.

Ms Crouch said Mckay has stopped smoking cannabis all together because of a “general sadness”.

Mackay was placed on a two-year good behaviour undertaking.

Magistrate Belinda Wallington said “mental health difficulties are not assisted by the use of cannabis”.

“It usually exacerbates them,” she said.

“This time you’re fortunate.”

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