Select a region
A tip-off by an eagle-eyed health worker, covert cameras and strong smells coming from a derelict glasshouse led Jersey Police to a snare a pair who cultivated cannabis plants worth up to £90,000 – which they said was for their personal use.
Andrew Ernest Louis (51) and his accomplice Ian Monteith Manson (53) grew the drugs in two locations in St. Saviour – a wooded area in the grounds of St. Saviour’s Hospital and a glasshouse overgrown with brambles, bushes and weeds along Rue du Tapon, the Royal Court heard during a sentencing hearing on Friday.
Louis, who had committed 159 previous offences, was jailed for 18 months. Manson, who had 44 convictions, was given the same sentence, but suspended for two years.
Advocate Carla Carvalho, prosecuting, explained that Police officers were alerted to the growing operation by a St. Saviour's Hospital staff member, who had seen two men acting suspiciously within the grounds on 29 September 2021, before leaving the area in a silver car.
After a search of the hospital grounds, Drugs Squad officers found two cannabis plants around 7ft tall, and gardening equipment including a shovel, tent pegs, trowel, and a solar system sprinkler. They installed covert cameras in the area.
Pictured: Andrew Ernest Louis (51), who was jailed for 18 months.
Three days later, they returned to the area to recover the cameras but noticed one was missing. Footage showed Manson visiting the site.
Both Manson and Louis were arrested that day. While at Manson's home officers discovered more cannabis.
Interviewed by Police, Manson admitted cultivating the plants for personal use. He claimed that he had discovered the site after losing his golf ball over a wall while doing a "pitch and putt" outside the hospital.
He admitted planting seeds in the area and setting up a solar watering system using equipment bought from a local gardening centre to "drip feed" the cannabis crops.
Louis, meanwhile, said he had nothing to do with the cannabis plants. He did, however, say he had smoked cannabis since he was 11 and had an "inkling" that cannabis was grown near the hospital because of a smell he came across.
Both men were released on bail.
The following day, officers were alerted to a potential grow site among disused and run-down greenhouses along Rue du Tapon. They reported a "strong smell" of cannabis.
As officers searched the area, they uncovered six cannabis plants around 7ft tall, gardening equipment and a similar solar watering set-up to the one near the hospital – they also caught Louis crawling towards the grow site.
As he was arrested, he told officers that he was only there "to shake water off the plants".
Pictured: Manson and Louis were sentenced in the Royal Court on Friday.
The Drugs Squad also found a camera inside the entrance of the greenhouse. Its footage showed Manson and Louis entering and leaving.
Interviewed by Police again, Louis claimed he used cannabis to keep himself motivated and grew it himself due to the price.
He admitted at a later stage that he would sometimes share what were described in court as "small personal amounts of different strains of cannabis" with acquaintances, but maintained that no cash was exchanged and that he did not make any money from the sale of the drugs.
The Royal Court heard that a drugs trafficking expert estimated the value of cannabis seized from St. Saviour's Hospital site would generate between £7,500 and £12,800, while the Rue du Tapon haul could be worth between £45,000 and £76,800.
The court heard that Manson was considered to be at high risk of reconviction and Louis at very high risk.
Advocate Carvalho said the pair were "not suitable for community service", and recommended 18 months' imprisonment for Manson and two years for Louis.
Advocate Chris Baglin, defending Manson, requested a suspended sentence for his client due to his serious health problems.
He told the court that his client had been in the Army, serving in Northern Ireland at the height of the Troubles for three years.
Advocate Baglin emphasised that there was "no evidence that these two middle-aged men were doing this for any other reason than for personal use."
Advocate Nicholas Mière, defending Louis, said his client's mother was seriously ill and a lengthy prison sentence would prevent him from spending time with her.
He also stressed that the drugs were for personal use and not for financial gain. The lawyer added that his client had made good progress in turning his life around while on remand, and was determined to continue.
The Bailiff, Sir Timothy Le Cocq, was presiding, sitting with Jurats Elizabeth Dulake and Karen Le Cornu.
The Drugs Squad's Sergeant Lynn Lang said after the sentencing: "Officers have been kept busy this year, and we will continue to work hard to keep illegal drugs out of the supply chain and bring those offenders before the courts."
Comments
Comments on this story express the views of the commentator only, not Bailiwick Publishing. We are unable to guarantee the accuracy of any of those comments.