medpot
08-14-2008, 07:10 AM
The Daily Gleaner (http://dailygleaner.canadaeast.com/cityregion/article/384187)
Letters to the Editor (http://dailygleaner.canadaeast.com/onsite.php?page=contact#B)
Judge reserves decision on pot-growing dad
Published Thursday August 14th, 2008
A5 By DON MACPHERSON
macpherson.don@dailygleaner.com
A man whose landlord ratted him out for running a marijuana grow operation out of his house wept as he begged a judge Wednesday not to put him behind bars.
Troy Arthur Stewart, 33, of Stanley previously pleaded guilty to an April 7 charge of production of marijuana.
The Crown withdrew a related charge of possession of pot for the purpose of trafficking.
The charges arose after police found 79 marijuana plants in the Stanley home in which Stewart was living with his wife and their toddler daughter.
Defence lawyer Doug Smith told provincial court Judge Camille Dumas that the grow-op was "a one-shot deal" that Stewart did in order to make a quick buck.
"I didn't realize the seriousness of what I was doing at the time," Stewart told the court.
"It was only a one-time deal."
He also said he was planning to shut down the grow-op and get rid of the plants when he was raided because his wife was unhappy with the illegal activity.
Smith asked that his client be granted a conditional sentence of house arrest.
Crown prosecutor David Hitchcock argued that a jail sentence of 12 to 18 months was in order.
Smith noted that Stewart's pre-sentence report indicated that there was a serious concern about the welfare of his wife and daughter if he were to be jailed.
Stewart pleaded with Dumas to grant the conditional sentence.
"I'm scared to death of losing my family and my job," he said tearfully.
"I'm begging you, please, not to put me in jail ... My family needs me, and I need them."
He sobbed in the courtroom gallery as Dumas said he had to reserve his decision on sentence in order to review case law and the circumstances of the case.
The judge said he'd deliver his decision on sentence Sept. 19.
Letters to the Editor (http://dailygleaner.canadaeast.com/onsite.php?page=contact#B)
Judge reserves decision on pot-growing dad
Published Thursday August 14th, 2008
A5 By DON MACPHERSON
macpherson.don@dailygleaner.com
A man whose landlord ratted him out for running a marijuana grow operation out of his house wept as he begged a judge Wednesday not to put him behind bars.
Troy Arthur Stewart, 33, of Stanley previously pleaded guilty to an April 7 charge of production of marijuana.
The Crown withdrew a related charge of possession of pot for the purpose of trafficking.
The charges arose after police found 79 marijuana plants in the Stanley home in which Stewart was living with his wife and their toddler daughter.
Defence lawyer Doug Smith told provincial court Judge Camille Dumas that the grow-op was "a one-shot deal" that Stewart did in order to make a quick buck.
"I didn't realize the seriousness of what I was doing at the time," Stewart told the court.
"It was only a one-time deal."
He also said he was planning to shut down the grow-op and get rid of the plants when he was raided because his wife was unhappy with the illegal activity.
Smith asked that his client be granted a conditional sentence of house arrest.
Crown prosecutor David Hitchcock argued that a jail sentence of 12 to 18 months was in order.
Smith noted that Stewart's pre-sentence report indicated that there was a serious concern about the welfare of his wife and daughter if he were to be jailed.
Stewart pleaded with Dumas to grant the conditional sentence.
"I'm scared to death of losing my family and my job," he said tearfully.
"I'm begging you, please, not to put me in jail ... My family needs me, and I need them."
He sobbed in the courtroom gallery as Dumas said he had to reserve his decision on sentence in order to review case law and the circumstances of the case.
The judge said he'd deliver his decision on sentence Sept. 19.