Cannabis 'gardener' caught after being attacked
POLICE called to the aid of a man being beaten up in his home found he had 181 cannabis plants upstairs.
Officers arrived at Quang Vo's house to find a gang of men attacking him, Nottingham Crown Court heard.
-
Vo had 181 plants
They arrested two men, and when they went into the house they found the plants spread across three bedrooms.
The attackers later pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary.
Andrew Tanser, prosecuting in Vo's case, told the court the 33-year-old Vietnamese illegal immigrant was acting as "gardener" for the plants.
He said he had not been allowed to leave the house in Camborne Drive, Aspley.
"He was told not to go to the door if someone knocked and to keep the blinds and windows shut," Mr Tanser said.
The court heard Vo had fled his home country after being promised work in France.
But he soon found he had been conned and got into the back of a lorry bound for England.
He arrived in the country at the end of June this year.
Mr Tanser said Vo was given the equivalent of a year's wage to look after the plants. The equipment to help the plants grow was already in place when he arrived.
In mitigation, Adrian Reynolds said it was an "ironic case" as Vo had been the victim of an attack.
He said Vo had been seeking work as his wife was pregnant with their third child and he was concerned about money.
"He was ordered to water the plants," Mr Reynolds said. "He wasn't allowed to go out of the house.
"He was effectively a prisoner in his own home. His whole stay in England and Nottingham has been a nightmare."
Vo pleaded guilty to producing cannabis. He denied an allegation of bypassing electricity to help the plants grow, which the prosecution accepted.
Judge Jonathan Teare jailed Vo for 18 months, saying he had been lenient because of the circumstances.
He said: "You were ordered to help with that grow rather than being a volunteer."
The judge also recommended Vo is deported when he is released.
marcus.boocock@nottinghameveningpost.co.uk
12 Comments
View all
by Scooby, In the belly of the beast
Tuesday, November 25 2008, 1:06PM
“Daz,
I'm well aware the NEP is part of the same group. I regularly pay a visit to those pages too - it pays to listen to what the enemy is saying, or you'll never fully understand them.
That, and it's hilariously easy to provoke an over-the-top reaction from the readers.
*Winks at Sal*”
by Steve, Beeston
Monday, November 24 2008, 3:08PM
“Sal - you are entitled to your opinions but not your own facts. The article doesn't state where his wife and kids are. I think that was Colin's point.
He almost certainly will be deported once he has finished his sentence. Unfortunately if we deport him first then we have no guarantee that he will serve a sentence. That would give a green light to every crook living abroad to come here to engage in lucrative illegal activity as the worst they'd get is sent home - where they originally were. We need to be tougher than that!”
by William Fotherington Thomas, The Park
Monday, November 24 2008, 2:51PM
“They should get 100 lashes and be deported. Over within a few days.”
by Sal, Nottm
Monday, November 24 2008, 2:43PM
“Would anybody like to comment on the story and not me? I give up. I won't bother to read the local news in future. This site is now off my favourites.”
by Dave, Not Vietnam
Monday, November 24 2008, 2:33PM
“Sal, let me re-word your original comment if I may. If his wife and 3 kids are over here, send them back too and send him back to serve his prison term over there. I work very hard and pay my taxes and i do not appreciate paying for an illegal immigrant who has been found guilty of a crime, I dont like paying for the ones who haven't either.”
by Daz, Nottingham
Monday, November 24 2008, 1:49PM
“Scooby
You are in "Daily Mail" land
The NEP is owned by the group that owns the "Daily Mail"”
by Sal, Nottm
Monday, November 24 2008, 1:28PM
“I'm not racist. But I am sick of reading about illegals being over here, some of them breaking other laws. And I agree Mr Mojo, I could have worded it better.”
by Mr Mojo, Mapperley
Monday, November 24 2008, 1:17PM
“Colin, Scooby.
I think that you have to respect Sal's views and appreciate that this is an open forum for people to express their opinions.
I may not agree with what is said and maybe Sal could have put her comment over less bluntly, but you have to appreciate that events that have occurred recently within the UK as a whole have caused racial tensions to grow amongst all sides of the populace.
To abuse somebody with name calling and swearing because of their viewpoint is frankly ill-informed and rather childish and desperate.
People don't need to agree, but without an open ear nothing gets solved.”
by Sal, Nottm
Monday, November 24 2008, 1:07PM
“lol desperate for what? I'm entitled to my opinion along with everybody else.”
by Scooby, City
Monday, November 24 2008, 1:01PM
“Well said Colin, I'm hoping your comment isn't removed by the NEP.
Sal - we don't need ill-informed rubbish like yours on here, so do us all a favour and do one back to Daily Mail land, OK?”