A company director was discovered with a cannabis cultivation worth up to £250,000 in his Broughty Ferry home.
Shipping maintenance boss William Hendry was ordered to carry out 160 hours unpaid work after he admitted producing a large crop of the drug.
Hendry, 28, admitted he got carried away and had “gone too far” in turning a large part of his home over to the huge illicit operation.
Sheriff George Way said: “Mr Hendry has to understand how the law looks upon these types of offences.
“Producing a drug brings onto the market something that was not there before.
“To that extent it is a serious and significant part of the supply chain.”
‘Things got out of hand’
Hendry, who told police he had been “stupid” after officers raided his cottage on Arbroath Road, had previously been warned he faced being sent to jail.
Dundee Sheriff Court was told police found cannabis seedlings across his home, as well as six-foot-high, fully-grown plants.
Hendry, listed online as director of a marine maintenance company, had his cottage searched after police obtained a warrant.
Depute fiscal Callum Gordon told the court: “After a search was carried out on 9 June, 90 seedlings were found in one bedroom and 100 in another.
“Forty, six-foot-tall, mature plants were recovered from the property also.
“The accused was cautioned and charged and responded: ‘Things got out of hand. I had not done anything with it. I was stupid.’
“The crops had an estimated yield of between £50,000 to £250,000.”
‘Very serious matter’
Sheriff Way said: “You will appreciate the production of a controlled drug is a very serious matter.
“I appreciate these are street values which have been provided but you are bringing into life a product which was not there before.
“But for your efforts, this production of drugs would not exist today.”
Hendry admitted being concerned in the production of cannabis on Arbroath Road on June 9 2022.
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