Woman jailed for cannabis farm

A SHETLAND woman was sent to jail for 16 months for growing cannabis plants at her home at Burgadale, in Brae, between March and June this year.

When police raided the home of Rachel Holmes on 16 June this year they found 100 cannabis plants of variant sizes, growing in the property.

The 30 year old appeared from custody before Lerwick Sheriff Court on Wednesday and admitted the charge.

Procurator fiscal Duncan Mackenzie said that police had uncovered a “fairly sophisticated cultivation”.

He said that cannabis plants were worth £300 each “irrespective of its size”, and therefore Holmes’ operation had a potential value of £30,000.

He said that it was accepted that other people were also involved.

The court also heard that Holmes had been trying to rid herself off her heroin addiction by using cannabis.

Defence solicitor Tommy Allan said that she had been “fed up with the extortionate prices for cannabis in Shetland” and therefore had decided to grow some herself. She had been surprised by the success of her cultivation attempts.

Sheriff Philip Mann told her that she had profited from this “very extensive operation”, and had also facilitated the supply of this drug to people.

“The court has to take a very serious view of this kind of offence,” he said.

Her 16 months jail term is being backdated to 17 June when she was taken into custody. The court also ordered for the drugs and the growing equipment to be forfeited.