A MAN from Towyn who was found to be growing 1,000 grams of cannabis at his home has been spared jail.

Paul Bennett, 55, of Towyn Road, was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment, suspended for one year, at Mold Crown Court today (January 11).

Bennett told Judge Timothy Petts “thank you very much” for agreeing to suspend his custodial sentence.

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Karl Scholz, prosecuting, told the court that, on December 2, 2022, police executed a warrant at Bennett’s home, and found 1,000g of loose cannabis, which could have been worth up to £10,000.

A Quality Street chocolate box was found to contain buds of cannabis, meanwhile.

In total, seven cannabis plants were discovered at his home, with an estimated yield of up to 588 grams.

When interviewed, Bennett accepted he had been growing cannabis for him and his father for the last six month, primarily to ease the pain his father experiences.

Though he said he was “very sorry”, he said that easing his father’s pain was more important to him than abiding by the law.

Defending Bennett, who had 35 previous convictions for 72 offences, Simon Killeen said that his client has lived a “rather isolated, sad life” which has been “dedicated to his parents” somewhat.

Bennett was placed in care as a child, and was later in a youth detention centre, and then with the Salvation Army.

He also lost his daughter when she was two-and-a-half years old, the court heard.

Mr Killeen urged the court to consider suspending Bennett’s sentence, not least because he is “clear important in his father’s life”.

Sentencing, Judge Petts agreed to do so, saying it would be “unnecessarily cruel” to sentence Bennett to immediate custody, particularly given his father’s poor health.

Bennett will complete 15 rehabilitation activity requirement days, and adhere to a three-month curfew.

This will prevent him from leaving his home address from between 7pm until 7am nightly.

The drugs and paraphernalia seized were ordered to be forfeited and destroyed, while Bennett will pay a statutory surcharge.