Paul Ellul: Sunshine factory fire on Maida Ave reveals cannabis
It was when a Sunshine factory suddenly went up in flames that police discovered the large building wasn’t being used to store cars. And they didn’t have to look very far to find the name of the father of three behind the illegal activity.
Wyndham Leader
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A dad’s large cannabis factory was uncovered after the Sunshine building it was hidden in went up in flames.
Paul Ellul, 34, was sentenced to a minimum of two years’ and four months’ jail at the County Court on Tuesday, October 27, having pleaded guilty to cultivating a commercial quantity of cannabis and theft.
Cannabis plants weighing almost 93kg were discovered growing in the factory at 30 Maida Ave when firefighters and police arrived at the burning building on November 20, 2019.
The 45 plants were between five steel tents — or ‘rooms’ — in a sophisticated hydroponic set-up supported by stolen electricity funnelled through an electrical bypass.
The fire had started in the electrical wiring.
Ellul had been leasing the factory since August 2017, having claimed he needed it to store cars.
He had recently extended the lease until June 2021.
But police didn’t even have to look into the paperwork to find out his name, with a takeaway food container labelled ‘Paul’ left in the factory.
Ellul’s DNA was also found all over gloves and other items at the scene.
The court heard the father of three had been a long time crane driver until he fell into cocaine use in 2018, gambling issues and got divorced.
Judge Michael Tinney said a desire for profit was the motivation behind Ellul’s “cannabis factory”, with his culpability for the crime being very high.
“This was a deliberate and calculated criminal exercise. And a serious one,” he said.
Judge Tinney said Ellul had obviously put considerable effort and money into establishing the operation.
At almost 93kg, Ellul was caught with more than three times what constitutes a commercial quantity of cannabis.
The court heard Ellul had returned to work since being caught, with positive references provided by his employer and ex-wife.
He only had prior convictions for driving offences.
Judge Tinney said he took into account Ellul’s early plea, remorse, good rehabilitation prospects and the difficulty in prison caused by COVID-19 in sentencing Ellul to a maximum of four years’ jail.
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