Albanian national caught living in a £15k cannabis farm in Sunderland jailed

Jonis Marku had a key to the property on Princess Street, in the Thornhill area of Sunderland, where 74 plants were growing across three rooms.

Newcastle Crown Court heard the crop could have produced between two and six kilos of the class B drug, worth between £4,000 and £15,000.

Pictures show the plants packed into growing rooms, with lighting and ventilation equipment in place.

Prosecutor Antonia Adie said the electricity at the property had been bypassed and told the court: "Cannabis plants were located on both ground and first floor of the property."

Miss Adie said Marku was interviewed the day after police found him inside the farm in January.

She added: "He confirmed he had been staying at the address for the last two months as he had agreed, with a person he refused to name, to stay and tend to and look after the cannabis plants.

"He confirmed he fed and watered the plants."

The court heard Marku told officers the farm was already set up when he arrived at the house and he knew the electric had been bypassed as he had been warned not to touch it.

He said he was paid £100 per week for food and drink and would have earned more money for the work he was doing with the plants but the amount had not been confirmed.

Marku, 24, of Princess Street, Sunderland, admitted producing cannabis.

Recorder Felicity Davies said it was a "significant growing operation" and sentenced Marku to ten months behind bars.

The court heard Marku had travelled to the UK in a bid to improve his personal circumstances but now wants to return to Albania.