A man has been given a suspended jail sentence after police discovered cannabis plants growing in his Paddock home.

Leeds Crown Court heard officers went to the address of Joshua Lord in Hill Top Road on the evening of April 24 looking for a person but found the cannabis grow instead.

There were 17 plants between 76 to 83 centimetres tall growing in the attic where four lights and a timer were fitted. They were estimated to provide a yield of around 935 grammes of skunk cannabis.

Robert Galley, prosecuting, said 33 smaller plants intended to provide a replacement growing crop were found in a small bedroom and, accepting that not all would have reached maturity, a further 935 grammes was estimated for the future.

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That meant from the two growing cycles the cannabis had a value of around £16,000.

Lord told police the plants were his responsibility. The court heard from a probation officer that Lord was in full-time work and was fit enough to do community work.

The 26-year-old admitted producing cannabis and was sentenced to eight months in prison suspended for two years with 200 hours unpaid work.

Judge Tom Bayliss QC said it was a sophisticated set up in the attic with lamps and fans.

“You were quite clearly going to make money from this,” he said.