Bendigo farmer Christo Quinn faces drug cultivation, trafficking charges

A 52-year-old farmer could be facing more jail time after he was caught cultivating weed for his wife at his family home near Bendigo.

A 52-year-old farmer was arrested after police found a massive cannabis production at his family home about 60km out of Bendigo, a court has heard.

Christo Quinn pleaded guilty at the County Court on Friday to cultivating a narcotic plant at a commercial quantity and trafficking a drug of dependence at a commercial quantity.

Police executed a search warrant at Quinn’s property in Moliagul on May 3 in 2021 where they discovered more than 66kg of dried and drying cannabis as well as 160 growing plants — weighing about 256kg — on his property and in a chicken coop.

Of the 66kg of cannabis found inside the house, about 25kg was said to be used for trafficking purposes while the other 41kg was for personal use, the court heard.

Inside the house was a dedicated drying area with chains hanging from the ceiling and a desk to prepare the buds as well as 40 cryovac bags in two large duffel bags and a black bin of dried cannabis.

Quinn’s lawyer submitted he produced the cannabis to make medicinal oil by way of helping his wife control her epilepsy and seizures.

“He’s not part of any criminal enterprise ... there is no operational violence,” his lawyer said.

“It is not a situation where he is abusing or addicted to cannabis.”

The operation wasn’t “sophisticated” and the irrigation system on the farm wasn’t set up for the cultivation of the cannabis, rather for the farm crops, the court heard.

Character references provided to the court from Quinn’s friends and family described him as a “man of integrity and honesty, principled and hardworking”.

His lawyer said Quinn is “genuinely remorseful” for his offending and has fully rehabilitated since being released on bail after spending nine and a half months in custody for the first time.

His time on remand was “distressing” as his elderly mother was dealing with the farm — which produces vegetables, chickens and livestock — and his wife was dealing with more seizures due to the stress, the court heard.

A further time of imprisonment, Quinn’s lawyer said, will be more burdensome especially if his sentence results in the forfeiture of the farm.

Quinn is expected to be sentenced on February 22.