Alexander Stephen Bealey (31) was fined £500 for growing plants he believed to be hemp but turned out to be cannabis in a tent in his garden.
Bealey admitted to growing the two plants, but he said that because the seeds he used were labelled as hemp, he didn’t think he was breaking the law. He was also charged with the possession of a small amount of “herbal material” which was found to be predominantly cannabis stem matter rather than the leaves.
The Court heard that Bealey had cultivated the cannabis in a ‘grow tent’ in his garden, alongside other plants like tomatoes.
Pictured: Alexander Stephen Bealey’s case was heard in the Magistrate’s Court this week.
The 31-year-old was represented by Advocate Luke Sette who explained to the Court that his client was simply mistaken in thinking he was allowed to grow these plants, believing them to be hemp.
Advocate Sette said that Bealey had “learned of the hemp farm in Jersey” and therefore thought he was allowed to grow his own plants, but the Court heard that a licence is still required to grow hemp in the island.
The Defence Advocate reminded the Court that “no sophisticated equipment” was used to grow the plants, and that his client was using the plants to relieve various health conditions and not for their psychoactive qualities.
Pictured: Bealey said he’d heard about the hemp farm in Jersey and assumed he was allowed to grow his own plants.
Bealey was described as “family man” who spends most of his days looking after his children while his wife is at work.
Having heard both sides of the case, Relief Advocate Sarah Fitz told Bealey that she was “very much taking into account the fact that you have readily entered guilty pleas” and the fact he was “very cooperative” when the Police came to search his property. She also noted that the plants were “in no way grown in any sophisticated manner” and that by keeping the plants isolated he wasn’t “putting the children at any risk”.
However, the Relief Magistrate added: “You mustn’t grow these substances yourself”, before handing down a financial penalty of £500. If Bealey fails to pay this fine he risks spending three weeks in custody.