[420 Girl]

A taxi driver has pleaded guilty to growing cannabis plants worth £2,500 in his garage, saying he grew them for his son. Stephen John Scrivener, aged 50, of Skewsby Grove in Clifton, pleaded guilty at York Magistrates Court to one count of cultivating cannabis.

Caroline May, prosecuting, said on the afternoon of January 17 police officers executed a search warrant under the Misuse of Drugs Act at Scrivener's home. Mrs May said: "Officers attending found that the defendant, together with his wife and two sons, was present. A search was made of the house and garage and the garage was found to have a secure, climate-controlled area including ventilation, lights and a heating system. There was also a feeding and watering system and growing there were 15 mature cannabis plants."

When interviewed, Scrivener said he had built the growing room to supply his son, who had a drug habit. Harry Bayman, mitigating, said Scrivener had led a blameless life up until this point and had no previous convictions. He said he had grown the cannabis to help his son, who had mental health problems and suffered anxiety and stress.

Mr Bayman said Scrivener did not smoke the drug himself and had only found out how to grow it by reading a book bought from a store in York, the details of which he gave to the police. He said: "His intention was to assist his son and there was no intention to profit from the enterprise. Mr Scrivener said he had never seen a cannabis plant before, and had never taken the drug himself."

The court was told the plants had been growing for around eight weeks and it was the first crop he had grown.

Mr Bayman said Scrivener's taxi licence had been suspended because of the court case, and it may now be revoked, leaving him with no way of earning a living. Magistrates' chairman Pauline Verity said it was a serious offence and she was considering imposing a high-level community punishment.

Sentencing was adjourned until April 25, for a pre-sentence report to be compiled.

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