Cannabis factory site owner has jail term cut

A man who became involved in a sophisticated cannabis factory after a planned property development fell through has had his jail term cut by a third on appeal.

Paul Swift, of Applebees Meadow, Hinckley, was jailed for six years at Warwick Crown Court in September last year after he admitting conspiring to produce and supply cannabis.

The 45-year-old has now had his prison term reduced to four years by judges at the Court of Appeal, after they ruled the initial sentence "manifestly excessive".

Judge Sir Anthony May told the court Swift bought a building in Church Road, Nuneaton, in 2007, telling the local council he intended to turn it into flats.

But he later said the idea was hindered by the credit crunch and, along with another man, he turned the site into what the judge called a "sophisticated 10-room cannabis factory". When police raided the building in 2009, they found cannabis plants in various stages of development.

One room contained more than 200 plants and another 102.

The judge said each crop would have yielded more than �50,000 of the drug.

Swift, who was on benefits at the time, said he was not involved in selling the drug but was aware it would go on to commercial dealers.

He said the factory had only been operational for four months.

Ben Cooper, for Swift, said he was not the main player in the plot and his six-year jail term was too long.

Sir Anthony, sitting with Mr Justice Bean and Mr Justice Eder, agreed and cut the prison sentence by a third to four years.

The judge said of Swift: "He was not a mere gardener but he was not the person controlling this operation."

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