Cannabis farmer sapped £4,500 worth of electricity to grow the drug at village house

Police smashed their way into the property on Painthorpe Lane in Crigglestone on October 20 last year and found a "sophisticated" set-up, including lamps, heaters, timers and 46 plants.

Prosecutor Charlotte Noddings said they found 22 medium-sized plants and 23 smaller plants in one bedroom of the terraced house, cropped and drying cannabis buds in the other, while the cellar was lined with plastic sheeting that she said was being used as a nursery for saplings.

The electricity had been been bypassed for at least six months, with E.ON measuring the cost at £4,595.

Documents found in the property were addressed to Gracjan Stainslaw Kesicki, but there was no sign of him.

The next day police stopped a car driving along Agbrigg Road in Wakefield which was being driven by Kesicki, who admitted who he was.

He was arrested but gave no comments during interview.

He was released pending an investigation but was arrested again last month trying to fly back to his native Poland, claiming he was going back for a week for a nasal operation. He has been held on remand since.

The 25-year-old admitted producing cannabis and illegally extracting electricity.

Mitigating, Imran Khan said Kesicki, whose address was given as Newland Street, Wakefield, had been in the UK for four years.

He said: "He has been working in this country and has had several jobs. At the same time he has been trying to better himself with education."

No explanation as to why he was growing the plants was disclosed during the hearing, but Mr Khan said that Kesicki had entered into an agreement to repay the electricity money.

The judge, Recorder Christopher Rose told him: "It was a small but sophisticated cannabis farm that you appeared to be responsible for in a terraced house.

"You had bypassed the electricity - a risky and dangerous course for you to take and one which cost more than £4,500.

"It appears the farm had been in place for some time, not least because the electricity had been bypassed for roughly six months."

He handed Kesicki eight months' jail, suspended for 18 months, and 200 hours of unpaid work.