A Moray man who set up a tent in his bedroom to grow his own cannabis has been spared jail.
Ryan Bowman grew the nine cannabis plants, worth a potential value of £3,000, at his home as he thought it would be cheaper than buying the drug elsewhere.
Police raided an address in Imlach Way, Lossiemouth, on October 9 last year and discovered the haul.
At Elgin Sheriff Court yesterday, the 28-year-old, of 28 Bremner Drive, Elgin, admitted producing the Class B drugs.
But his solicitor stressed the drugs had been for his own use, and that his client had never intended to sell them.
Fiscal depute Kevin Corrins said: “When police officers arrived at the scene they found nine cannabis plants, which had grown to 5ft high and were at the point they were starting to bud.
“There were the usual accoutrements and paraphernalia also lying around.
“The accused accepted he had cultivated the plants.”
Bowman’s solicitor, Stephen Carty, said his client had made an “entirely wrong” decision in opting to grow his own Class B crop.
Mr Carty said: “These plants were being grown for personal use and personal use only.
“My client was using cannabis at the time and took the view that it would be much cheaper for him to produce his own, rather than buying it from other individuals.
“He accepts that was entirely the wrong thing to have done.”
“He never had any thoughts or intentions of supplying the drugs.
“He is not someone who is usually involved in this sort of behaviour, or criminal behaviour at all.”
The solicitor said Bowman received a “significant scare” when he was arrested, and has now “changed his attitude” towards drugs.
Sheriff John Halley said he was satisfied he could deal with the case without sending Bowman to jail, due to his good record and lack of intent to sell the drugs. He fined him £400.
But he warned: “In typical circumstances an offence of this nature would result in imprisonment.”
