A horticulture student who put his studies to use by starting a £30,000 cannabis farm in his flat was today facing jail.
Kevin Martin’s cultivation was found by police acting on a tip-off in October last year.
They smashed their way in to his flat in Dundee’s Rosefield Street and found it was unoccupied – but was being used to house 73 cannabis plants.
Police found a mobile phone belonging to Martin — who is studying horticulture at a local college — which had evidence on it of him selling harvested cannabis as well as growing equipment to punters.
Fiscal depute Lynne Mannion told Dundee Sheriff Court: “It was clear it was being solely used for growing cannabis.
“The set up looked disorganised and not well constructed but could still produce plants.
“A total of 73 plants were found with a total potential illicit yield of £21,900 to £29,200.”
She said drug dealing texts were recovered from Martin’s black Samsung mobile phone that showed him offering to sell drugs to others.
“Reference to ‘Psycho’ — a strain of cannabis — were found and he offers to supply 15 grams for £110,” she said.
“There are also references to offering to sell growing equipment.”
Martin was found later at his partner’s address, where he was detained and cautioned.
The depute added: “While en-route to police HQ he volunteered: ‘What can I say, I’m just pleading guilty’.”
Martin, 29, of Rosefield Street, Dundee, pleaded guilty on indictment to being concerned in the supply of cannabis between August 7 and October 6 last year.
Defence solicitor Jim Caird said: “This is clearly a case where a report will be required.”
Sheriff Lorna Drummond QC deferred sentence until next month for social work background reports and released Martin on bail meantime.
She said: “It seems to me this is a fairly large scale amoung of cannabis you were growing.
“You have never been to jail before but you have a record with two previous convictions under the Misuse of Drugs Act.
“I need a report before I decide what the sentence should be.”
