Man jailed after police find four rooms at Sheffield home being used to grow cannabis

Sheffield Crown Court heard on Monday, September 7, how Viet Pham, aged 27, of St Alban’s Road, Hallam, Sheffield, admitted producing the class B drug following the raid on August 12.

James Gould, prosecuting, said: “Officers were required to force entry to the property as the defendant tried to flee from a rear door.

"He was arrested and officers searched the property.”

Four rooms were being used to grow cannabis, according to Mr Gould.

He added: “It was a production line because the plants were of various ages of growth. Lamps had been installed as had transformers, as had filters. The electricity had been by-passed and a very significant number of plants were being grown.

"There were in total 208 cannabis plants at various stages of growth.”

Clarkson Baptiste, defending, said Pham came to the UK as a student before losing his job during the coronavirus lockdown and a friend suggested he come to work in Sheffield and he was placed as a gardener for the cannabis grow.

Mr Baptiste argued Pham was not responsible for organising the cannabis set-up.

Recorder Abdul Iqbal accepted Pham was harvesting the cultivation at the property which had been leased from the landlord and there was not sufficient evidence to suggest Pham had a leading role.

He sentenced Pham to 32 months of custody and told him he would serve half and he would then be released on licence unless he is removed from the UK.