Nenad Barisic: Frankston, Lalor growhouses raided
A man who was caught growing a huge amount of cannabis in a Lalor house managed to avoid jail by skipping the country. However, the lure of Australia and a quick buck was too much to resist.
South East
Don't miss out on the headlines from South East . Followed categories will be added to My News.
A man caught living in a sophisticated Lalor growhouse avoided court by skipping the country, only to return to be found living in an even bigger crop house in Frankston.
Nenad Barisic was discovered looking after a staggering 61.95kg of growing cannabis plants when police raided a Frankston rental home in August last year.
And the lessee of the house was found to be living in a Carrum Downs crop house rented in Barisic’s name.
The 51-year-old fronted the County Court on Monday, August 31, facing charges for the drugs in Frankston, as well as charges for when he disappeared after being caught living in a growhouse in 2010.
The court heard police found 95 cannabis plants, weighing 14.56kg, and 1.42kg of dried cannabis when they raided Barisic’s Lalor home on January 12, 2010.
A sophisticated hydroponic set-up including timers and water pumps ran through three bedrooms, while filters and fans were in the roof cavity.
A bypass had been installed to avoid the electricity passing through the electrical meter.
The court heard Barisic just missed out on being hit with charged with cultivating a commercial quantity of the drug, with 100 plants or 25kg needed to constitute the charge.
After being granted bail he fled to Bosnia to be with his family in March, not returning until 2016.
He was then found living in a Frankston house police raided on August 28, 2019, where 30 cannabis were growing, weighing 61.95kg — more than twice the weight of that deemed a commercial quantity.
Judge Frances Dalziel said the “well put together” hydroponic set up “must have taken considerable effort to build”.
She said while the extent of his involvement was unknown, it was clear Barisic was part of an organised cannabis cultivation enterprise involving “considerable know-how, investment and effort”.
The court heard Barisic came to Australia as a refugee in 1994 and suffered major depressive disorder and anxiety after being conscripted to fight in the Bosnian War.
Judge Pullen said financial gain was his motivation for offending while accepting Barisic’s mental health had degraded his ability to make sound decisions.
Judge Pullen said she noted Barisic’s mental health, COVID-19 restrictions and his wife and children being in Bosnia made prison more onerous for him.
She said she had taken into account his early guilty pleas, very limited criminal history and the need to deter him reoffending.
Having already spent 369 days behind bars, Barisic was sentenced to a total of two years’ and seven months’ jail with a non-parole period of one year and six months.
Judge Pullen said but for his plea she would have sentenced him to four years’ and six months’ jail, with a non-parole period of two years and nine months.
MORE: DRUGS, MACHETE ALLEGEDLY FOUND IN THOMASTOWN HOME
HOW LETTERBOX HELPED UNCOVER GREENSBOROUGH DRUG HOUSE