Stamford man living in Folkestone, Kent spared jail after admitting drug offences at Lincoln Crown Court

A man who admitted growing cannabis has been spared an immediate jail sentence by a judge who told him ‘we all make mistakes in life’.

Samuel Hudson, 27, formerly of Mallard Court, Stamford pleaded guilty to producing the class B drug, possession of it with intent to supply and supplying it between August 27, 2020 and May 25, 2021.

Police became aware of a cannabis smell from Hudson’s Stamford address when they attended for an unrelated matter on May 25, 2021.

An officer looked through the panel of the front door and could see "frantic activity," Lincoln Crown Court was told on Friday (October 27).

Hudson eventually answered the door but appeared "nervous" and reluctant to let the police in.

When officers entered the property they found a makeshift tent containing five cannabis plants and a LED light in an upstairs bedroom.

A further search of the property and garden recovered loose cannabis with an estimated street value of £2,240 and cannabis plants to the value of £3,000.

A cannabis grinder and wallet containing £558 were also found.

Hudson gave a prepared statement to the police in which he claimed the drugs were for his own personal use and stated that he had bought them in bulk shortly before the search.

But a police drugs expert concluded the amount of cannabis was too large for personal use.

Chris Jeyes, mitigating for Hudson, told the court he had no previous convictions and had turned his life around in the last two years.

Mr Jeyes said: "The young man who is before the court is not the same young man who you would have encountered in 2021.

"He has spent the last two and half years rehabilitating himself. He is now entirely free of drugs and lives in a completely different part of the country.

"He has a steady girlfriend and is in work."

Passing sentence at Lincoln Crown Court on Friday Recorder Adrian Reynolds told Hudson it would not be in the public interest to jail him.

"You have learnt your lesson after being arrested for these offences," Recorder Reynolds said.

"We all make mistakes in life, the thing is to learn from them."

However Recorder Reynolds warned Hudson his suspended jail sentence could be activated if he committed further offences.

Hudson, now of Phillip Road in Folkestone, Kent, was sentenced to eight months imprisonment suspended for two years.

He was also ordered to complete 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days.