Although he wasn’t actively involved in drug production, a Burton-based electrician has been fined £500 for helping to set up what was apparently a cannabis factory.
The electrician in question was contracted by the tenants of the house to install a number of high-powered lamps and check all of the wiring in the property. It’s said that he felt suspicious when carrying out the work, but he didn’t take any action.
Police managed to track down the electrician after finding his fingerprints on doorways and on light fittings.
After being brought before a court in Stafford, the electrician admitted to being suspicious of the installations, and was fined by prosecutor Heather Chamberlain for being ‘concerned in the production of cannabis’ but failing to report the concerns to authorities.
Judge Simon Tonking said to the electrician:
“You gave very limited assistance at an early stage by checking and setting up some of the lamps, having thought it was going to be used for cannabis production.
“You only went to the property once.”
The electrician also told the court that he was brought to the property by an unnamed Asian male who is in no way linked to the property owner, who is currently undergoing an investigation as well.
The property owner is facing similar charges because he also apparently knew about the plants but didn’t report them.
Steve Hennesy, who defended the electrician, said “He intends to take more care in future and maybe report such situations, should they arise.”
It’s good advice – if you are an electrician and are contracted to do work that you think might be suspicious, it’s certainly worth relaying your concerns to the relevant authorities. Turning a blind eye to these kinds of things can net you both significant fines and a potential criminal record, so it definitely isn’t worth taking the risk.
