Man who alerted police to cannabis farm in his bedroom by calling 999 to report burglary avoids jail

A man who alerted police to a ‘sophisticated’ cannabis farm in his bedroom by calling 999 himself to report a potential burglary has avoided jail.  

Phillip Harrison, 47, phoned the police as he feared somebody was going to burgle a neighbour or his property in Hartlepool, County Durham, on November 6 last year.

Teesside Crown Court heard how officers discovered a cannabis farm in an upstairs bedroom after Harrison let them inside his home.

Kate Barnes, prosecuting, said electricity at the premises had been bypassed and a large tent was found with 10 cannabis plants, worth around £5,600, foil and lighting.

She said: ‘The front bedroom had been entirely converted.’  

Teesside Crown Court (file photo, pictured above) heard how police officers discovered a cannabis farm in an upstairs bedroom after Phillip Harrison, 47, let them inside his home

Ms Barnes added: ‘The defendant described it as solely for his own use, there’s no evidence to say that’s not the case.

‘It was a relatively sophisticated set up inside the property.’

She said Harrison was interviewed by officers and admitted growing the plants from seeds as it was more ‘cost effective’ to do so.

The court heard how Harrison had previously been handed a suspended prison sentence for a charge of handling stolen goods and was in breach of the order.

Harrison pleaded guilty to production of a controlled drug class B and breaching a suspended sentence order. 

Kelleigh Lodge, defending, told Judge Jonathan Carroll: ‘It was his own grow for his own personal use. He said that the equipment was bought online.

‘He actually telephoned the police because of hearing someone banging on the neighbour’s door and then on his door. He thought that person was going to burgle a neighbour or himself.

‘When the police did attend he brought them into the property. He admitted there were cannabis plants growing upstairs.’

Ms Lodge added that Harrison, who appeared in court via video link to Durham prison, suffers from mental health issues.

She said: ‘He would say the offending in relation to him growing these plants is linked to a deterioration in his mental health. 

Kate Barnes, prosecuting, said electricity at the premises had been bypassed and a large tent was found with 10 cannabis plants, worth around £5,600, foil and lighting (file photo)

‘He’s been diagnosed and suffered from depression and anxiety for a number of years and also started to suffer from blackouts as well.’

She added that he had pleaded guilty at the first opportunity and he could lose his property if he was to be sent to prison.

Judge Carroll told Harrison: ‘This case came to light as a result of you contacting the police when you thought that your premises were about to be burgled.

‘You didn’t think it through because when the police turned up and spoke to you they came into your house and saw, well rather smelt the rather sophisticated cannabis grow we had set up in one of your upstairs bedrooms.

‘That led to your arrest.’

He sentenced Harrison to two months in prison suspended for 12 months.

The judge also ordered him to complete 10 rehabilitation activity requirement days and abide by a curfew for four months.