Dundee man facing jail over £37,000 cannabis cultivation

A Dundee man is facing jail after his £37,000 cannabis cultivation was found when his neighbours shopped him to his landlord because of "strange comings and goings" at his flat.

Matthew Hart continually ignored calls, texts and letters from the owner of the flat he was living in in the city's Clyde Place.

That prompted the landlord to go to the door after neighbours had complained to him about odd goings on there.

He used a key to get in when nobody answered - and immediately smelled cannabis.

And when he looked in a bedroom he found Hart had been growing dozens of cannabis plants inside three tents pitched in a bedroom.

Hart now faces a jail term over the haul - which was valued at up to £37,420.

Fiscal depute Vicki Bell told Dundee Sheriff Court: "The landlord had received complaints of strange comings and goings and became concerned about the property.

"Having received no reply from the accused he decided to attend there and check all was in order.

"On entering it was clear the property was still occupied but there was no trace of the accused.

"There was a strong smell of cannabis coming from upstairs so he chcked and found three tents full of plants in the three bedrooms.

"There was a large quantity of plants and paraphenalia.

"He went to police HQ and officers accompanied him to the flat and observed the cultivation.

"During the police search the accused returned and was detained.

"There were a total of 69 plants with potential illicit value of between £17,420 and £ 37,460."

The 29-year-old pleaded guilty on indictment to producing cannabis between May 10 and June 14 last year at an address in Dundee's Clyde Place.

Defence solicitor Mike Short said he would give a full plea in mitigation at a later sentencing hearing.

Sheriff Alastair Carmichael deferred sentence until next month for social work background reports and released Hart on bail meantime.