Martin Puzylo pleaded guilty to production of cannabis after police discovered eight plants being grown in a wardrobe.

Prosecutor Rachael Dodsworth said officers were at the property in Argyle Square, Ashbrooke, on another matter when they noticed a strong smell of cannabis.

They found the young plants and growing equipment in a wardrobe, after the search on January 19 this year.

Puzylo's solicitor, Susan Grey, said her client smoked the drug to control his temper, as conventional methods had failed.

"In recent times he had used cannabis to relieve stress and anxiety, rather than prescription medicines and alcohol, which he finds make him annoyed and angry, and acts as a catalyst for aggressive behaviour, but use of cannabis calms him and makes him a more sensible person."

She added: "He felt the cannabis he was buying from dealers and friends was contaminated with anti-depressants, and for that reason preferred to cultivate it himself."

Magistrates at Sunderland city court yesterday imposed a 12-week suspended prison sentence on the 33-year-old, and ordered he pay £60 costs.

After the hearing, Puzylo labelled cannabis resin sold by drug dealers as "poison", and claimed it could be contaminated with stronger drugs.

He added he had grown his own plants in a bid to avoid this, and was using the drug in its pure form to wean himself off nicotine.

"I think alcohol should be a class A drug, to be honest. If it was discovered today it would be banned," he said.

In 2007, Puzylo appeared in court after a row over a monkey suit.

The Echo reported how Puzylo was arrested for breach of the peace and fined after a disagreement in a Sunderland fancy dress shop got out of hand.

The dad had hoped to don a gorilla suit to raise money for the Children's Heart Unit in Newcastle, after his son was helped by the charity.