- Olivia Corris, 22, said she returned to her flat after a night out to find drugs
- Claims she was threatened to care for them or her family would be harmed
- Arrested after police stormed flat and found £45,000 worth of strong skunk
- She was given an eight month prison sentence suspended for 12 months
By
Gemma Mullin
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Olivia Corris, 22, pictured outside
Manchester Magistrates Court at a previous hearing, claims she returned
home to find gangsters had left a cannabis farm in her basement
A
beauty therapist who was caught growing a cannabis farm in her basement
has avoided jail after she claimed it was put there by gangsters
without her knowledge.
Olivia
Corris, 22, said she had been out with friends when she returned to her
flat in Stockport, Greater Manchester, to find 44 super strength
'skunk' plants had been left in her home.
There
was also a note with instructions saying she should feed and water them
otherwise her family might be harmed, a court heard.
Corris
claims she agreed to look after the plantation, even though she
insisted she had never smoked the drug, in fear of reprisals.
But
the former O2 telesales worker was arrested after officers burst into
her home and found the maturing plants, aided by a sophisticated
hydroponic system and five heat lamps.
The
yield had a potential to flood the streets with up to 2.26kg of potent
skunk - which could have fetched £45,200 if it was sold for the right
price.
At
Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester, Corris admitted producing
cannabis but claimed she was said to have exploited by a more
'criminally-minded' group.
She
told the court they preyed on the fact she lived alone after leaving
her parents' home in the Cheshire suburb of Bowdon, near Altrincham.
In a statement she said: 'I challenged them and I was told in no uncertain terms that the farm was staying.
'I
accept matters progressed to the extent that the owners of the farm
told me to feed the plants and control the lighting and I did so.
'It was never suggested I would receive any gain if it was successful.'
Earlier,
prosecutor Charlotte Crangle said the farm was discovered on October 13
last year when police attended Corris' rented accommodation as part of a
search for a wanted man.
She
said: 'There were no people in the property so they forced entry and
discovered the cannabis farm in the basement of the address, an area
described as two metres by three metres.
'It
was found to have 44 plants along with a hydroponic system, five heat
lamps and the usual paraphernalia associated with growing cannabis.
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Corris, a beauty therapist, said there was instructions telling her to care for the plant or her family would be harmed
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The former
telesales worker said she agreed to look after the plant, though she had
never smoked the drug, over fear of reprisals
'The plants were analysed and there was a yield potential of 1.13kg to 2.26kg.
'If the yield was sold at £20 per gram it would fetch £22,600 to £45,200. It was the stronger skunk variety.'
In
mitigation the court heard Corris had been introduced to the unnamed
group of men through an old school friend she used to see when walking
her dog.
But whilst she was out, the men kicked her door through and when she returned she 'discovered' the farm in her cellar.
When
Corris tried to tell the gang to leave, they relayed her parents'
address and implied violence would follow if she didn't comply.
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Corris was given an eight month prison sentence suspended for 12 months and was ordered to carry out 180 hours of unpaid work
Her
lawyer Amanda Johnson said Corris - who has previous convictions for
fly tipping and violence - didn't abuse alcohol, take drugs or even
smoke.
She
added: 'There were four of five men who were initially friendly but
soon forced themselves on her at home and into her property.
'She
lived alone and did not feel able to stand up to them. It begs the
question - why didn't she contact the police? The answer is fear of
reprisals.
'She
knew some of them had a history of crime. Two of them have been in
prison in the past. The final straw came when they relayed her parents'
address to her - the number and street.
'Her
parents live in Bowdon and these males would have no way of knowing
that if they hadn't gone out of their way to find that information.
'So
it is that a cannabis farm was placed in the address. She is a young
woman who has been exploited by those more criminally-minded and of more
forceful character.
'She is aware this is serious. She is not a cannabis user and never has been.'
Corris was given an eight month prison sentence suspended for 12 months and was ordered to carry out 180 hours of unpaid work.
Judge Andrew Lowcock told her she had come 'very close' to going straight to prison.
He
said: 'Your basis of plea is you were coerced into allowing this by
threats against your family and didn't receive any financial benefit.
Drugs are a curse and people who grow cannabis and help can frequently
end up in prison.
'You
have an explanation of apparent vulnerability but you should choose the
people you associate with more carefully in the future.'
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