Benjamin Ocean De Araugo faces Toowoomba District Court after 9kg of cannabis was discovered in Rockhampton home

Police responding to reports of a trespasser made a startling discovery, after a smell of cannabis resulted in the discovery of 9kg of the drug in a wardrobe.

A 42-year-old man found with 9kg of cannabis growing in his walk-in wardrobe has been placed on probation with no conviction recorded.

Police responding to a report of a person trespassing had gone to the Rockhampton home of Benjamin Ocean De Araugo on December 20, 2021, Toowoomba District Court was told.

When the police officers remarked that they could smell cannabis, the then 41-year-old told the officers he had cannabis plants growing upstairs, Crown legal officer Alice O’Connor told the court.

An inspection of a room upstairs found seven cannabis plants growing inside a walk in wardrobe, she said.

The wardrobe had a hydroponic set up, growing lights, pipes for airflow and police found 20 bottles of fertiliser, she said.

Total weight of cannabis with stalks removed was 9kg but the Crown accepted the drug was for De Araugo’s own personal use, Ms O’Connor said.

De Araugo had only limited criminal history and he had co-operated with police and made full admissions, she said.

Defence barrister Jess Goldie told the court her client had been working as an enrolled nurse at the time and had worked in aged care and regional and rural nursing.

Her client had some mental health issues and had turned to self medicating with cannabis after a relationship break-up, she said.

Ms Goldie said De Araugo had since completed a bachelor of psychology and aimed to become a psychologist and asked that no conviction be recorded so as not to jeopardise that course.

In court on Monday De Araugo pleaded guilty to producing a dangerous drug above the 500g schedule and possessing a dangerous drug.

Judge Paul Smith placed De Araugo on six months probation and ordered the conviction not be recorded.