A judge apologised to an Albanian man after sentencing him to 20 months in prison for helping run a cannabis farm on his 33rd birthday.
Agim Cjapi was arrested inside a building in Market Square, Kirkby Stephen, Cumbria, where police found 293 cannabis plants spread across several rooms.
Recorder Anna Vigars KC imposed the immediate sentence at Carlisle Crown Court on Friday. Addressing Cjapi, she said: “I am sorry that this hearing has had to take place on your birthday. I hope there will be more pleasant birthdays in the future.”
The court heard the operation was a sophisticated cannabis factory, fitted with lighting, irrigation and equipment for growing plants at different stages of development.
Prosecutor Tim Evans said the plants were located upstairs and downstairs, including seedlings. Had the crop reached full maturity, its potential street-level value was estimated at £439,000.
Cjapi admitted producing cannabis but said he was acting as a gardener on the instructions of a criminal gang. He told police he had been in the UK for about a year and had spent several months at the property.
His defence lawyer, Andrew Gurney, said Cjapi had been smuggled into Britain and had built up a substantial debt to travel here. His passport was allegedly kept by supervisors, while he was threatened with violence if he refused to carry out their instructions.
Mr Gurney said Cjapi had previously worked on building sites and at car washes before being taken to the property in Market Square, where he lived in poor conditions and tended the plants as directed.
“In essence the defendant was a gardener,” Mr Gurney told the court. He said Cjapi had received no significant payment, had no control over those directing the operation and did not benefit directly from cannabis sales.
“He was at the bottom of the chain,” the barrister said.
Cjapi told police he had been sending £200 a month to Albania to support his elderly and unwell father. He also said the money he expected to earn would help repay the debt incurred in travelling to the UK.
Recorder Vigars said Cjapi was likely to serve about a third of the 20-month term in custody. She added that arrangements for his deportation were expected to be made at an early stage.
