Pair 'threw cannabis plants away' when spotted by police in Walsoken, court told

Two friends on a mission to plant cannabis plants threw the bag containing them out of a car window when they were spotted by police.

Daniel John Gary Cookland had offered to give Martin Richard Thompson a lift to get a spade to do the planting on July 4 this year, King's Lynn magistrates heard yesterday

Josephine Jones, prosecuting, said a police officer saw them stop in Sparrowgate Road, Walsoken, and Johnson get out to go to a house.

Later the Vauxhall Insignia sped off and a blue Aldi bag was seen to be thrown out of the car. It was recovered and found to contain five small cannabis plants.

Bags of cannabis were found in the car and Cookland, 26, gave a positive roadside test for drug-driving. A later evidential blood test showed him to be four times the limit.

Thompson, 29, told police the plants were his and he was intending to grow them further for his own use because his habit was costing him too much and his wife had been complaining about a lack of money.

Cookland, of Norwich Road, Wisbech, pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled drug and drug-driving and Thompson, of Balding Close, Wisbech, admitted possession of and producing a controlled drug.

Mitigating for Cookland, Ruth Johnson said her client – a woodworker for a company in West Walton – recognised his wrongdoing and was going to deal with the amount of cannabis he’s using.

He was fined £173 for possession and was banned from driving for 14 months, fined £260 and ordered to pay £85 costs and £30 victim surcharge.

Andrew Cogan, mitigating for Thompson, said: “The likelihood of these plants growing into any maturity when planted among hedges is pretty slim.”

Thompson was fined £80 for possession and £120 for producing. He was also told to pay £85 costs and a £30 victim surcharge.

An order was made for the forfeiture and destruction of the cannabis and plants involved in the case.