Tenant evicted after using flat as cannabis factory

A council tenant who put the lives of his neighbours at risk by using his flat as a Cannabis factory has been jailed for nine months and ordered to leave his home.

Lee Petch, 26, of 16a Shay Road, Stocksbridge, was arrested under the Misuse of Drugs Act after police attended the property on the 5 March. Police found that Mr Petch had bypassed his electricity meter, added extra electricity sockets and drilled a hole in the bedroom wall to accommodate the ‘factory’ in his one bedroom flat.

Mr Petch pleaded guilty to the production of a class B drug and was sentenced to nine months imprisonment by Sheffield Crown Court on 20 May 2011, the court also ordered the destruction of 1.02kg of Cannabis.

A Notice Seeking Possession was served on Mr Petch on 23 June 2011. This was on the basis that he was in breach of conditions. His Honour Judge Robinson made an order, in Mr Petch's absence, that he should give up immediate possession and should pay the council's legal costs of the possession claim.

In giving judgment Judge Robinson found that the matter was "very very serious indeed", that there was a "risk of danger of fire" which was "potentially disastrous".

He found that it would be "wholly unreasonable to contemplate [Mr Petch] going back to the premises".

Loraine Greeves, anti-social behaviour team manager for Sheffield Homes, said: “We will not tolerate criminal activity taking place in any of our properties and will take swift action, in partnership with the police, to tackle it.

Tenants are well aware of their tenancy conditions when they sign up for a property so if they are caught breaking them, they must face the consequences – on this occasion, Mr Petch lost his home.”