David Brett Cook, Anthony Brian Horwell busted growing marijuana

Two men with no criminal records have fronted court on the same day for illegally growing marijuana plants at their homes, both giving very different excuses.

Stay-at-home dad Anthony Brian Horwell, who had no criminal record, was busted growing marijuana at his Gracemere residence.The marijuana weighed 780 grams with the roots removed and police also located 55 seeds. He was sentenced in Rockhampton Magistrates Court on June 16, 2023.

Two men with no criminal records have fronted court on the same day for growing marijuana plants.

David Brett Cook, 38, was busted growing six “relatively small” marijuana plants when police searched his Rockhampton residence on March 20, 2023.

Police prosecutor Sergeant David Longhurst told Rockhampton Magistrates Court the potted plants, which were up to 50cm tall, were found in Cook’s backyard vegetable patch.

Police also found 18g of “smokable” marijuana in a wardrobe, 19g of dried leaves attached to cut plant stems inside the fridge, and 31g of the same inside a cardboard box stashed under the house.

Sergeant Longhurst said Cook also had a hydroponic set up with three seedlings.

Defence lawyer Grant Cagney said Cook, who worked as a roofer and plumber, had no criminal record.

Mr Cagney said Cook grew the plants for personal use for back pain and anxiety.

He said only 18g in the wardrobe was “smokable” with all other marijuana “discardable” except for the plants.

Cook pleaded guilty on June 16 to producing a dangerous drug, possessing a dangerous drug, possessing items used to produce a dangerous drug, and possessing drug utensils.

He was ordered to pay $1300 in fines and no convictions were recorded.

Elsewhere in the Rockhampton region, stay-at-home dad Anthony Brian Horwell, who also had no criminal record, was busted growing marijuana at his Gracemere residence.

There are no connections between the two cases.

Sergeant Longhurst said police attended Horwell’s residence in relation to another matter on March 27, finding marijuana plants “growing within a framed structure; all plants healthy and maintained”.

He said the marijuana weighed 780g with the roots removed.

Police also located 55 seeds, two LED lights hanging above the plants with 15 bottles of chemicals, and electronic maintenance appliances like thermometers, pH meters and air purifiers.

Horwell told the court he made a mistake and that “things were pretty tight at the moment”.

He said he was a stay-at-home dad by choice until his youngest goes to school.
Horwell pleaded guilty to producing a dangerous drug, possessing a dangerous drug, possessing items, and possessing drug utensils.

He was ordered to pay $1000 in fines and no convictions were recorded.

Originally published as David Brett Cook, Anthony Brian Horwell busted growing marijuana