A west Fife man who started up a cannabis factory in his home has been jailed for 210 days at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.
Police officers found 26 fully-grown plants worth a total of £7,800 in a bedroom of his family home.
Mark Robertson, 34, of Porterfield, Comrie, admitted that on May 4 at that address he was producing a controlled drug, namely cannabis.
Depute fiscal Sam Johnston said police received a call at 6.30pm that day and went to Robertson’s home, where they saw a young child inside with no sign of anyone else around.
There was no response when officers knocked on the door and so they obtained authority to enter the premises for the safety of the child.
However, when the police started forcing a door open, Robertson appeared and let them in.
“He appeared to have been upstairs. There was a strong smell of cannabis from within and it seemed to be coming from upstairs,” Mr Johnston told the court.
“He was asked if he would allow a voluntary search and he obliged. They entered a bedroom and found a cannabis plantation.”
Mr Johnston said there were 26 mature cannabis plants each with a value of £300.
Defence agent Andrew Houston said his client was a first offender who had “never troubled the courts before or since”.
He said his client had been a habitual user of cannabis and “it had become an expensive habit”.
As a result “he elected to cultivate his own plants rather than purchase from third parties”, added the solicitor.
Sheriff Charles Macnair said: “There is a significant amount of cannabis cultivation in this area.
“It is a serious matter.”
He said he had to take into account the public interest and act to deter others from “going down this path”.
He jailed Robertson for 210 days and a proceeds of crime hearing was deferred until April 14.