Bailed to have baby

A SHETLAND woman who admitted growing cannabis at her home with her partner has been spared a jail sentence so she can have a baby next month.

Sheriff Philip Mann told 32 year old Sandra Grant that she should return to Lerwick Sheriff Court in six months, but that custody was still uppermost in his mind.

Grant and her 22 year old boyfriend Andrew Cumming were arrested after police raided their home at 6 Ockragarth, Brae, on 2 March last year following a tip off.

Procurator fiscal Duncan Mackenzie said officeers found 30 cannabis plants, which could be worth up to £9,000, along with cannabis resin worth more than £100.

Mackenzie said the couple had only pled guilty after initially denying they had anything to do with the plants.

Defence agent Richard Donaldson insisted the Class B drugs were only intended for personal use.

He added that Grant was due to give birth in hospital in Aberdeen next month and planned to spend three months in the city with Cumming recovering from the Caesarian operation.

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Deferring sentence for six months, Sheriff Mann said the only thing stopping him from sending Grant to custody was the child.

“I don’t really want to put you in prison in that condition,” he said.

“However you should be clear that the fact that you will have a young child by the time you come back will not necessarily stop me imposing a custodial sentence because it seems to me this was quite a significant operation, though I am not saying it is 100 per cent certain you will go to custody.”