Glasgow dad jailed after blowing up flat while making cannabis
Carl Anderson, 40, was badly burned in the explosion in Dalmarnock,
A Glasgow dad who blew up his flat while making super strength cannabis using butane gas has been jailed for 54 months.
Carl Anderson, 40, was badly burned in the explosion in Dalmarnock,
Glasgow, which caused other people living in the tenement building to be evacuated.
The High Court in Glasgow heard that Anderson lit a cigarette while attempting to produce butane honey oil from cannabis in his home.
Prosecutor Isla Davie QC said: “The explosion in the living room was of sufficient force to blow out the window and distort the living room door.
“It was recorded that glass from the rear windows of the building had travelled up to 25 metres in the blast.”
Anderson suffered extensive burns to his arms, face, head and body.”
When police found him in his mother's home nearby he claimed that he had been fixing a motorbike in his flat, lit a cigarette and the explosion happened.
In court, Anderson admitted culpably and recklessly engaging in the production of butane Honey oil and causing an explosion at flat 0/1, 18 Sorn Street on September 24, 2018.
He also pled guilty to attempting to produce butane honey oil.
Judge Lord Burns told Anderson: “You carried out a procedure, which was obviously a dangerous one , in what you accept was a dangerous fashion.
“You caused extensive damage and danger to your neighbours. This was plainly some form of commercial operation or would have been if you finished the operation.”
The court heard that around 11.15pm upstairs neighbour Lillian Hayes and her partner were in their living room and heard and felt an explosion.
They looked out the window and saw smoke and flames coming from the flat below.
Fire fighters tackled the blaze and neighbours from the five flats were evacuated.
Police were told that Anderson had climbed out the back window of his flat and gone to his mother's home.
Fire investigators found canisters of butane gas and 36 cannabis plants in Anderson's flat, along with 3.2 kilos of herbal cannabis.
Ms Davie said: “Butane honey oil production is known to be extremely hazardous due to highly flammable butane gas being used in the production process.
“The investigators' reports conclude that the fire was accidental in origin as a consequence of the careless and reckless production of butane honey oil. There has been a build up of butane gas in the flat and it is explosive where mixed with air and an ignition source supplied.
“The initial ignition was most likely a naked flame such as a match or a lighter.”
Butane honey oil has a street value of between £50 and £80 per gram. Twenty-eight grams of herbal cannabis is needed to produce one gram of butane honey oil.
The cost of repairing the damage caused by the explosion was £93,823.07.
Defence counsel John McElroy said: “He was overpowered by the effects of butane gas and lit a cigarette. It was absolute and utter stupidity and carelessness.”
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