Cannabis farmer caught at Northampton house with 18kg of bagged-up drugs worth £163,000 jailed

The court heard he was hired to mind the cannabis farm by "an associate" after being made redundant from a previous warehouse job
Marius Budvytis was hired to tend a cannabis farm in a Northampton neighbourhood after he was made redundant from his warehouse job.Marius Budvytis was hired to tend a cannabis farm in a Northampton neighbourhood after he was made redundant from his warehouse job.
Marius Budvytis was hired to tend a cannabis farm in a Northampton neighbourhood after he was made redundant from his warehouse job.

A cannabis farmer who was caught tending a crop at a Northampton house with 18kg of ready-to-sell product has been jailed.

Marius Budvytis was arrested in a raid on Brundall Close, off Billing Road East, on December 30 last year.

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Officers seized 90 plants and found 18kg of bagged-up cannabis ready to sell with a street value of £163,000.

Northampton Crown Court heard yesterday (February 26) that the 37-year-old was reportedly 'offered the job' after being made redundant from a warehouse and was faced with money troubles.

His defence barrister Mr Carl Woolf told the court: "He did not know the full scale of the operation or who would take the drugs away or where. He doesn't know who set up equipment up.

"It was his job to monitor the equipment and stay at the house."

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When police raided the house, they found several rooms had been converted over to grow the drugs. Automatic timers and lights were in place and it was clear the 90 plants on scene were at least the second crop grown at the house.

Budvytis was reportedly living in the house. The court heard he had recently been away from the house to deal with a family tragedy, and when he returned much of the cannabis had already been harvested. He didn't know who else was involved in the operation.

In sentencing, Recorder Mr Mark Watson said: "It must have been clear to you it was a serious enterprise run by criminals filling the local market.

"In my judgement any operation like this is too serious and that only an immediate imprisonment is appropriate."

Budvytis was jailed for two years.