South Shields man's jail warning after drugs raid on his home

Steven Henry, 36, was found in the process of growing 11 plants during a police raid on his home in Collingwood Street, South Shields, on July 16 last year.

South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court heard he also had a criminal conviction in relation to being discovered producing the illegal Class B drug in 2018.

Henry has now been hit with fines and court costs of over £300 for the offence and warned to pay the financial penalty - or risk being jailed.

Prosecutor Paul Anderson said his latest appearance in court was aggravated by the first offence.

He said: “This offence is from nearly a year ago. The police have come to search the defendant’s address, and they find 11 plants in a back bedroom.

“He is frank with police and makes a full admission that he was growing the cannabis for personal use.

“He has seven previous convictions, and the last conviction was for producing cannabis in 2018.

“He was given a financial penalty for that, which to a certain degree aggravates this.”

David Forrester, defending, said: “It’s mental health related.

“It’s a year ago. It’s difficult to understand how it would be a year ago because he made a full admission to police. Why it couldn’t have been brought quicker, one doesn’t know.

“He was using cannabis on a fairly regular basis to assist him with his nerves. He’s now weaned himself off that.

“There’s an immediate guilty plea and full admissions at the police station.

“He instructs me that his situation has improved and that he’s not using cannabis anymore. It was for personal use.”

Magistrates fined Henry £200, reduced from £300 for his early admission of guilt to cannabis possession, and he must pay £85 costs and a £32 victim surcharge.

They also ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the cannabis plants.

Dorothy Gibson, chair of the bench, told him: “If you don’t pay your fines, you could go to prison.”

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