A handyman who moved out of his Sutherland home to use it as a £400k cannabis factory is facing a lengthy jail sentence.
Inverness Sheriff Court was told that Steven Robinson was in financial difficulties and had run up £40,000 of debt.
The 42-year-old agreed to set up the factory in his home in return for his mortgage payments being covered because he feared his Golspie home could be re-possessed.
But members of the public became suspicious about the constant humming and the glow emanating all the time from the property and police were tipped off.
Fiscal depute Stewart MacIver told Sheriff Gordon Fleetwood: “He and his partner Sabina moved out of the property and into rented accommodation in Brora towards the end of July 2014.
“She claimed not to know who was paying the mortgage on Park Cottage or what the source of the mortgage payments were.
“Police got information and searched the property in February. The living area was sparsely furnished. However in the attic, loft space of an extension and in a shed outside the police found a well organised large scale cannabis cultivation consisting of around 200 fully grown plants and 150 seedlings.
“It had probably been in place for around six months. Neighbours knew that he and his partner had moved out, ostensibly as the property was to be renovated.
“They expressed surprise that the couple could afford to rent another property as they were always short of money. They also spoke of seeing grow bags being delivered by van, glowing from a window, regularly hearing a humming noise at the cottage and Robinson repeatedly visiting the property, usually in the evening but sometimes as much as six times a day and only ever staying minutes.
“Drug Squad experts estimated the potential maximum value of the crop as just short of £400,000.
“When he was interviewed by the police, he admitted that he had been allowing his property to be used to grow cannabis plants for a number of months in an attempt to pay off his outstanding debts in exchange for help with his mortgage repayments and £200 cash in hand.
Sheriff Fleetwood remanded Robinson, now of 4 Main Street, Lairg, in custody.
He said: “This was a well organised, well planned and financed drugs operation and a custodial sentence is the likely disposal.”
Robinson was remanded in custody until August 2 pending a background report after he admitted producing a controlled drug in his home at Park Cottage, Golspie between June 2013 and February, 2014.