[Sativa]

A washing machine repairman who grew cannabis and benefited to the tune of £15,750 has had just over a tenth of that amount seized by the court.

Christopher Lambert, 30, was at York Crown Court yesterday to have assets seized following a court hearing before Christmas in which he pleaded guilty to possessing and growing cannabis.

At the time he was given a six- month prison sentence suspended for two years and told he would have some of his assets seized.

But York Crown Court was told yesterday his only asset was a motorbike. It was not in a condition fit for sale although it was worth around £1,680.

Judge Paul Hoffman told Lambert, who lives in Brunswick Street, York, he must pay that amount within six months.

Judge Hoffman said: "That's plenty of time to find that money by honest means."

At an earlier hearing, the court was told Lambert had been found with 23 cannabis plants growing in his bedroom and that he had grown them for his own use to avoid paying money to dealers.

Police had originally stopped him on August 26 and smelled cannabis in his car. They found another 30g of the drug in his boot and he told them about the plants at home.

The court was told at the time he used £160 worth of cannabis a week, but had since cut down.

And he was given a warning about the dangers of the drug.

Judge Hoffman told him: "If you want to do your head in, damage your brain and destroy your memory - it is well known that cannabis taken over a long time causes all these things, and psychosis into the bargain - do it by other means."

When Lambert said he was kicking the habit, Judge Hoffman told him to continue his abstinence "if you want to remember where you put the last washing machine".



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Source: The Press
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Copyright: 2007 Newsquest Media Group
Website: Cannabis Man Is Hung Out To Dry (from York Press)