A mother who reported her son as a missing person accidentally exposed her other son’s secret cannabis farm to police.
Officers came round to speak to her and told her that the first thing they did in any missing person hunt was to search the home property.
It was during the search that they found a tent set up in Marc Khan’s bedroom with a number of cannabis plants being cultivated inside it.
Dundee Sheriff Court was told that Khan claimed he was growing the crop in a bid to create cannabis oil to alleviate his terminally ill father’s cancer symptoms.
Fiscal depute Gavin Burton told the court: “The mother of the accused phoned the police to report her other son as a missing person.
“She allowed the police entry to conduct a full search for the missing person as per normal procedures. The final room they searched was the accused’s.
“As they entered there was a strong smell of cannabis. There was a six foot by four foot tent in the corner of the room. There were four cannabis plants.
“He indicated that he had set up the cultivation to make cannabis oil. He said he knew it was illegal but he thought he was able to grow a small personal allowance.”
Khan, 34, Callender Gardens, Dundee, admitted producing cannabis at his home between 5 October 2018 and 5 January 2019.
Solicitor Anika Jethwa, defending, said: “His father was suffering from stage four bowel cancer. It was to try and ease his symptoms that he thought he would try to grow some cannabis.
“He was involved in this enterprise as a way to try and assist his father. His father passed away in April.
“It was his mother who called the police and let them into the house. They searched the house and found the cannabis production.”
Sheriff Jillian Martin-Brown offered the accused her condolences and deferred sentence on him for reports.
