A father whose baby son died aged just seven weeks old claimed he began getting involved in supplying drugs to pay for the tot’s funeral and headstone.
Stefan Lancaster, 33, was discovered in his preparations when police called at his flat in Poplar Court, Marsh, on other matters, prosecutor Vanessa Schofield, told Kirklees Magistrates’ Court yesterday.
She said officers called at the flat on December 13 after making enquiries about something else.
Ms Schofield said: “They noticed the aroma of cannabis and searched the flat and found branches and buds of cannabis plants.”
The defendant pleaded guilty to the charge of possessing a controlled drug, namely 560 grams of cannabis, (skunk), worth £4,800.
The court heard he had received a caution in 2002 in relation to a minor offence regarding cannabis.
Zara Begum, in mitigation, said: “He is a man of no previous convictions apart from the caution in 2002.
“He is currently under the care of a psychiatrist for depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.
“At the time of the offence he had suffered a bereavement, his child of seven weeks passed away.
“To fund the funeral he had borrowed a lot of money from friends and also to pay council tax and utility arrears.
“He assisted someone with drying out cannabis. He wanted to pay for his son’s headstone.”
The court heard he had been a heavy cannabis smoker from the age of 11 years old and had tried to take his own life on several occasions.”
The case has been sent to Leeds Crown Court for sentencing,
Lancaster will appear on March 25.
The chairman of the bench, Sandra Brennan, said: “The offence is so serious you need greater punishment than we can give”
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