Peter WalshA father-to-be grew cannabis plants in his bedroom wardrobe because he did not trust the quality of the drugs he had been buying, a court has heard.Peter Walsh

A father-to-be grew cannabis plants in his bedroom wardrobe because he did not trust the quality of the drugs he had been buying, a court has heard.

Paul David Leavey, 32, of Godric Place, off Bowthorpe Road, Norwich, appeared at Norwich Magistrates Court yesterdaywhere he admitted producing nine cannabis plants, a controlled class B drug, in contravention of the Misuse of Drugs Act.

Lisa Britton, prosecuting, said a heating engineer working for the council called at the defendant's address on May 4 and 'while he was there notices there's cannabis plants in the bedroom'.

The police were informed and an officer called round to the address on May 7. There was no answer, but the officer could smell cannabis through the letter box.

The following day, May 8, officers again called at the property and Leavey lets the police in and 'immediately says that he has been growing cannabis in his bedroom'.

Miss Britton said officers discovered he had set up a booth in the wardrobe with nine plants in all growing in there. Drugs and other paraphernalia were seized.

When interviewed, Leavey made a full admission about the cannabis. He told officers he had been growing it for six weeks and intended to smoke the flowering plant. Miss Britton added: 'He did it because he couldn't trust the quality he had been buying.'

Alison McManus, mitigating, said Leavey should be given full credit for his early guilty plea and for showing officers where the drugs were. She said the drugs, which were for personal use only, 'helped him relax'.

The court heard that Leavey, a painter and decorator, lived with his wife who was expecting their first child.

Miss McManus said: 'He realises its time to grow up and take responsibility. He's been with his wife for three years, they're expecting a baby and that's the motivation to stop taking cannabis.'

John Claxton, chair of the bench, sentenced Leavey to a 12 month community order with 100 hours unpaid work. He was also ordered to pay �85 costs. An order was also made for the forfeiture and destruction of the drugs.