A 21-year-old pig farm worker escaped a jail sentence yesterday after being caught growing his own cannabis.
Reece Holmes, who cultivated two plants at his home at Pitgrudy, near Dornoch, was ordered to carry out 300 hours of unpaid community work.
He was also placed under social work supervision for 18 months when he appeared for sentencing yesterday at Inverness Sheriff Court.
Defence solicitor Graham Mann said his client had run up a debt to his dealers and was then “prevailed upon to dry out cannabis buds by his dealers who were people you don’t say no to”.
Holmes admitted being concerned in the supply of drugs and cultivating cannabis.
The court had been told that police were called to a Sutherland cottage following a report of a man with cuts to his wrists.
But when officers entered the property on November 10 last year they got the strong smell of cannabis. A search revealed the drugs.
Holmes was warned if he didn’t co-operate with social workers he would be jailed. She added: “If people continue to stash drugs for bigger dealers, then they are allowed to continue their disgusting trade.”
