Police found cannabis plants worth £90,000 during search of a house in Cross Green

Leeds Crown Court heard 164 plants were found inside the property on St Hilda's Road, Cross Green, when officers executed a search warrant on January 12 this year.

Nicola Hoskins, prosecuting, said the plants were growing on all four floors of the house including the attic and cellar.

Rooms were equipped with fans, heat lamps and other growing equipment.

The officers arrested 28-year-old Mirland Maqinaj at the house.

Ms Hoskins said there was evidence that Maqinaj had been living at the property.

The plants were in different stages of growth but a police expert said they were capable of producing 9kg of the class B drug, worth up to £90,000.

Maqinaj was interviewed and told police officers he had travelled to the UK from Albania three years ago.

The defendant said he had previously been working on building sites and had been getting paid cash-in-hand.

Maqinaj said the work dried up and he built up a £2,000 debt.

He told the officers that the man he owed the money to offered him the chance to look after the plants in order to clear the debt.

Ms Hoskins said: "He accepted the offer, knowing it was illegal and said he had been at the property for two weeks and had been watering the plants.

"He said he could come and go as he pleased, had keys and had not been threatened with violence."

Maqinaj pleaded guilty to producing cannabis.

Khadim Al’Hassan, mitigating, said Maqinaj pleaded guilty to the offence at an early stage.

Mr Al’Hassan said: "He was aware that what he was doing was illegal.

"He said he was not coerced or threatened and merely did it as a financial transaction.

"There is nothing to suggest that he was anything other than a gardener."

Recorder Jamie Hill QC jailed Maqinaj for 12 months.