Police found cannabis ‘grow tent’ inside Newtown residence

She was placed on probation for her involvement in the growing of cannabis inside the home she had been sharing.

The magistrate accepted she had not put the grow tent there but she had known it was in the home.

A POLICE search of a Newtown residence had found a “grow tent” for producing cannabis and more than 75g of cannabis leaf, Toowoomba Magistrates Court heard.

And, while Magistrate Damien Carroll said he accepted 20-year-old Lara Madison Burgerhof had not set up the grow tent, she had known it was there and had also possessed the drug.

Police prosecutor Rohan Brewster-Webb told the court a police search of the home about 8.42am, October 14, had found the grow tent in a spare room inside which was a 12cm cannabis plant and another plant about 1.5cm growing in pots.

The tent had heat pads, growing lights and other equipment to help grow cannabis and bags of fertiliser to aid with plant growth were also found in the rooms, he said.

The search also turned up four cannabis seeds in wet tissue believed to be in the germination stage and a total 725.1g of cannabis leaf in bags in different areas of the house.

Mr Brewster-Webb said two water pipes for smoking the drug had been found in Burgerhof’s bedroom and when police tried to arrest her partner she had tried to block police and was then charged with obstructing police.

Burgerhof pleaded guilty to all charges.

Her lawyer Shane Hough told the court his client had endured a difficult childhood but had an excellent work history despite some mental health issues.

Mr Hough said his client was engaging with a GP and a psychiatrist and asked that no conviction be recorded as she had a responsible position.

Acting Magistrate Damien Carroll placed Burgerhof on 18 months probation and ordered the conviction not be recorded.