A MAN who grew cannabis all over his house ‘for medicinal reasons’ has walked free from court.

Mark Caughlin, 46, had drug-growing set-ups in his bedroom, bathroom and a hallway cupboard, Burnley Crown Court was told.

Police raided his home in Sandfield Road, Bacup, on July 4 last year and recovered around 24 plants.

Prosecutor Stephen Parker said Caughlin had 40 criminal convictions, for 96 offences, but no history of drugs charges.

David Ryan, defending, said that his client grew cannabis for ‘medicinal purposes in order to relieve himself of the extreme pain that he was suffering from at the time from various tumours about his body’.

“He said he was not receiving sufficient support from his general practitioner,” said Mr Ryan.

Caughlin had referred himself to a self-help organisation and the drugs agency Inspire, in an effort to tackle his problems, Mr Ryan told the court.

He had also enrolled with the Boot Strap employment initiative in the hopes of finding work as a fork-lift truck driver, for which he has qualifications, he added.

The defendant admitted producing cannabis and was given a 12-month probation supervison order and a 16-week curfew.