A cannabis growing operation producing drugs worth more than £6,000 was stumbled upon by chance near Penryn when officers called at a house to ask for directions.

What they found there led to the appearance before Truro magistrates of engineer John James Butler, 36, of Lamanva near Penryn, who pleaded guilty to producing 607.27g of cannabis in October.

Alison May, for the CPS, said officers had knocked at defendant’s door for directions, and because it was raining were let inside. There they smelt cannabis, and went on to find two tents containing cut and dried cannabis matter, growing plants and growing equipment.

Butler told officers this was his first |crop and he smoked the drug with |tobacco, sometimes using a vaporiser and sometimes cooking with it. He used |between four and five grams daily to help him sleep and relax.

Ms May said the prosecution accepted that this was not a commercial set-up |and emphasised that Butler had been |frank and open and very compliant with |the officers.

His solicitor Mike Gregson said Butler was an engineer working with a company in Redruth and had set up the operation entirely for his own use. He had worked abroad in exotic places such as Thailand where he became accustomed to using drugs. His knowledge of growing came as a result of growing chillies of which he was an avid cultivator.

Butler was fined £350 with £120 costs and surcharge.