A MAN who smoked cannabis to ease his pain following a “terrible” accident was growing a large crop of the drug to pay off a debt he built up.

Brent Dunphy, from Caerphilly, was cultivating 51 plants which had a potential street value of between £53,000 and £65,000 after he was recruited by a criminal gang.

William Bebb, prosecuting, said the defendant’s attic and a room in his house, a former shop, were converted into a “sophisticated” operation.

He told Cardiff Crown Court: “It appeared to be an organised enterprise and one that could produce an 8kg yield.”

Dunphy, 47, of Newport Road, Trethomas, admitted producing cannabis with the offence being committed between August 24 and October 28, 2020.

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He pleaded guilty on the basis he was growing and looking after the plants, some of cannabis would be for his own personal use and that he was involved so he could pay off a drug debt.

The defendant had nine previous convictions for 10 offences, including three for drug possession.

Gareth Williams, representing Dunphy, said: “He had a terrible accident in 1993 which impacted on his quality of life.”

“He has a long-standing problem with cannabis.”

The court heard the defendant has undergone 66 operations on his leg and started smoking the drug “for pain relief”.

Judge Timothy Petts told Dunphy, a father of three, he was able to spare him immediate custody because there was a “realistic prospect of rehabilitation”.

The defendant was jailed for six months, suspended for 12 months.

He was ordered to complete a 20-day rehabilitation activity requirement and was made the subject of a three-month electronically monitored curfew between 7pm and 7am.

Dunphy must pay a victim surcharge and the court ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the cannabis plants.