TWO dealers were found guilty after police caught them with thousands of pounds worth of cannabis – which they claimed was all for their own use.
Officers were overwhelmed by the smell of cannabis from a coolbag in a car belonging to Ian McIver, 55, of St Andrews Crescent, Rugby, in April 2013.
He was arrested along with passenger Fraser Campbell, 47, of Follager Road, Rugby after cannabis plants were found growing at their homes.
Both men pleaded guilty at Warwick Crown Court to producing cannabis, but denied a further charge of possessing quantities of cannabis with intent to supply them.
They claimed the thousands of pounds worth of cannabis found by the police was all for their own use, with McIver claiming he used it to relieve a painful medical condition.
But the jury found both of them guilty by a majority of 11-1, and they were granted bail for pre-sentence reports to be prepared on them.
The court heard how officers became suspicious when their route was blocked by McIver’s Peugeot 206. He was not in the car, but his passenger Campbell moved over into the driver’s seat to move the car a short distance.
In the coolbag they found over 26 grams of cannabis, as well as scales with traces of cannabis on them.
When McIver returned to the car, both he and Campbell, who had £175 in cash on him, were arrested.
Officers found a total of over 327 grams of cannabis, 13 cannabis plants and and £2,440 in cash in a safe at the two men’s homes.
Prosecutor Daniel Oscroft said: “It is clear, we say, that these two gentlemen were not only growing cannabis but were growing it as a team with the intention of selling it to others.”
But McIver insisted the cannabis was all for their own use, telling the jury that he had smoked it since he was 14 – but had been doing so more heavily to help relieve a painful medical problem.
His solicitor David Everett pointed out that a police drugs expert had accepted it was possible the cannabis was only for personal use.
Mr Everett posed the question that if the officer could not be sure it was not all for personal use, how could the jury – but 11 of them decided they could.
