Stacksteads loner's 'eight years' in cannabis-den bedroom

6:36pm Thursday 1st May 2008

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A 'LONER' who has spent almost eight years virtually shut away in his cannabis-den bedroom and planned to deal drugs has been jailed.

Iain Stott, 26, was found to have a £2,500 stash of cannabis, a 'very large' TV, computer equipment, PlayStation games, three Samurai swords and three rifles in the bedroom of his Stacksteads home when police raided it last November.

He also had £5,000 cash locked away in a safe, which he claimed was savings, although he was on benefits and had not worked since his last job as a warehouseman eight years ago, Burnley Crown Court heard.

Stott, who claimed his friends had badgered him to buying the drugs for £1,.500 in bulk, had earlier admitted possessing cannabis resin with intent to supply, possessing amphetamine and possessing cannabis bush. The defendant, of Cutler Crescent, was sent to prison for eight months.

Judge Beverley Lunt told him: "You had substantial funds available to you. You weren't driven to buy in bulk.

"In fact you made a business decision and bought in bulk to make a profit."

Sarah Statham, prosecuting, told the court police would not be seeking a proceeds of crime hearing over the £5,000, which they held, but wanted magistrates to make a cash seizure order.

The defendant's family home was searched and officers discovered three nine bars of cannabis resin and seven golf ball sized foil wraps of the drug, weighing 1.2kilos and together worth £2,500 on the streets.

The cash was found in a safe in Stott's bedroom and three mobile phones and digital scales were also in the room.

The court was told Stott had an unrelated previous conviction and a caution for possessing cannabis resin. The swords and guns were not seized by the piolice.

Sarah Johnston, defending, said Stott had used and abused cannabis for 10 years. He spent about £15 a week on the drug and spent a considerable amount of time smoking cannabis with drug users.

Miss Johnston said Stott had now disassociated himself from cannabis users and the people he bought drugs from.

The barrister said: "For the last eight years he has spent his time in his bedroom with cannabis users, smoking cannabis. He has wasted the last eight years of his life.

"The defendant knows the seriousness of the position he is in and that a custodial sentence is warranted in this case."