[420 Girl]

A man caught growing 33 cannabis plants in his flat wanted the drug to alleviate back pain, a court heard.

Police arrested William Kelly when they raided his home in North Street, Bourne, on March 11 and uncovered the haul.

Kelly admitted possessing the class B drug when he appeared before Spalding magistrates on Thursday last week, but insisted it was all for personal use.

Kelly, 31, used a hydroponic system and artificial lighting to cultivate the plants.

He had been growing the plants for about a year and had planned it so that they would need to be cropped towards the summer.

Kelly said he intended to go hitch-hiking to festivals around the country in the summer and wanted enough to cover the ounce a week he smoked.

Rachel Stevens, mitigating, said Kelly suffers from a series of back problems, including prolapsed discs, for which he is taking medication. He had discovered that cannabis helps him cope with the pain much better than the medication.

The reason he decided to grow his own, according to Miss Stevens, was because he did not want to become involved in the drug culture by going out to buy from other people.

Because of the pain he was in, Kelly was forced to take a “desperate act” on his part, she said.

Spalding magistrates fined Kelly £280 and ordered him to pay £60 costs and a £15 victim surcharge.

Magistrates also ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the drugs.


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