A young man claimed he was "pressured" into looking after a £100,000 cannabis farm at his home due to a drug debt.
Cannabis addict Aaron Lee, 26, pleaded guilty to producing cannabis and abstracting electricity following a raid at his home.
Stella Hayden, prosecuting, told Liverpool Crown Court court that police called at the house on the morning of February 23 this year.
She said: “He opened the door and invited the officers in and confirmed there was production of the cannabis at the address.”
Police found a total of 80 cannabis plants in the three upper rooms and experts later concluded the crop had a potential value of between £22,400 to £100,000.
The electricity meter had been tampered with and the power company estimated a loss in the region of £23,000, said Miss Hayden.
Lee, who has no previous convictions, was told by Recorder Daniel Lister: “I have no doubt you were not the main operator of this operation but your role was significant. You were on site tending to the plants.”
After hearing Paul Lewis, defending, that Lee had “shown genuine insight and reflected genuinely on his role” the judge sentenced him to 20 months suspended for 18 months.
He also ordered Lee, of Radway Road, Huyton, to carry out 180 hours unpaid work, 25 days drugs rehabilitation and attend an 18-month drugs rehabilitation course.
The judge warned him if he breaches the order or re-offends he faces immediate imprisonment and Lee replied from the dock, “I definitely won’t.”
Mr Lewis told the court that his client Lee, who is in employment, “is still dealing with the demon of cannabis in incremental steps”.
Recorder Lister told Lee, “This was a commercial grow capable of producing a significant quantity of cannabis.”
He said he accepted Lee had “essentially” been one of the gardeners involved and not involved in the onward sale or directing the operation.
