Saimir Gjoniku, 32, said he was in a large amount of debt and was being forced into tending the cannabis
Saimir Gjoniku, 32, of no fixed address(Image: Merseyside police)
A cannabis farmer was caught in the middle of a sprawling operation hidden behind the doors of a derelict bank. Saimir Gjoniku, 32, was tending to 359 plants worth up to £452,000 inside the former Lloyds bank on Bridge Street in Newton-le-Willows, which closed down in 2022.
He was caught on May 19 this year, when Merseyside Police received information that cannabis was being grown inside the boarded-up building. At Liverpool Crown Court today, August 18, prosecutor Derek Jones said: “Their suspicions were confirmed when they smelled cannabis and heard fans whirling around.
“When police entered the building it was clear a cannabis operation was in place. It would appear that most of the rooms in the building had been battered down and had cannabis plants and growing equipment installed in them.
“It was clear that there was an ongoing growing operating occurring, because there were some plants that had already been harvested that were drying.”
Police officers found 359 cannabis plants with an estimated yield of between 10kg and 30kg. Mr Jones said the lower yield would be worth between £40,000 and £60,000, while the higher yield would be worth between £300,000 and £452,000.
He said: “There was a living quarters for the defendant, the bed seems to be in the kitchen. There did appear for be a fully stocked kitchen.”
Gjoniku, of no fixed address, was arrested at the scene and later told police he was “in a large amount of debt and being forced into tending the cannabis”. He pleaded guilty to cannabis production and illegally abstracting electricity.
Julian Nutter, defending, said: “His whole life has been a misery now for some time against a background of somebody who had an honest job and did try to work hard. He’s of previous good character in this country. He has been used by others in France in a similar way to this, and that’s what has caught up with him.”
He said Gjoniku was keen to return to his home country of Albania upon his release from HMP Liverpool.
The Judge, Mr Recorder C E O’Leary, said: “In short, you (Gjoniku) were in the position of growing cannabis because you owed money to an organised crime group. That debt had been build up in France and the group traced you to the UK, where they put you to work growing cannabis for them. This was not the first cannabis far, you have worked in.
“You have no fixed address in this country and you have said you wish to return to Albania as soon as possible.”
He said Gjoniku was “clearly pressured to get involved in this behaviour”, however, “you have indicated you will continue to work for this organised crime group if you’re asked to”.
He said: “That, to me, alone with other features, means that it would not be appropriate to suspend your sentence of imprisonment. I conclude there’s not a realistic prospect of rehabilitation in your case at this moment. In my view the only way appropriate punishment can be achieved is by an immediate custodial sentence.”
He sentenced Gjoniku to a total of eight months in prison.