Three jailed for running cannabis farm out of former Egremont care home

The astonishing details of the covert drugs operation were revealed for the first time as a judge passed sentence on the three illegal immigrants who were employed as 'farmers' at the town's former Castle Mount care home.

All three defendants – Dung Nguyen, 25, Hung Tran, 30, and Pien Vo, 39 – had pleaded guilty to producing the class B drug.

Prosecutor William Donnelly described how police raided the large property at Bookwell on October 12 last year, discovering a sophisticated growing operation.

Of the 32 rooms on the ground floor, 11 were being used for cannabis production.

Twelve of the 31 rooms on the first floor were being similarly used. There were 1,646 plants, at varying stages of maturity. The defendants had bypassed the electricity supply to power heating lamps.

Most of the growing rooms were at the back of the building – an attempt to hide the distinctive cannabis smell from passers-by.

Also found in the building were plentiful food supplies for the three farmers, though all were able to leave the property when they wanted to, said Mr Donnelly.

FARM: The care home premises in Egremont. Picture: Google Streetview

The barrister said experts who examined the operation concluded that the cannabis plants were producing an unusually high cannabis yield – an average of 166g per plant.

According to those experts, said Mr Donnelly, that yield was the product of several factors, including the use of refined superior quality cannabis seeds and the optimised growing conditions.

“The third element which the expert [mentioned] to explain the startling figure [the high cannabis yield] was the skills of the gardeners involved,” added the barrister.

Even the electricity diversion work in the building was done to a 'very high standard,' the court heard.

BUST: The Egremont cannabis farm

Despite the building's central location in Egremont, the court heard, the farm operated for between three and four months.

All three defendants – who are Vietnamese nationals – have applied for political asylum.

Judith McCullough, for Tran, said he was an active political protester in his native Vietnam but his life and liberty were threatened.  “In those circumstances, he decided to leave the country,” she said.

She said the 'overpowering smell' of the cannabis plants had left Tran feeling ill as he worked at the illicit indoor farm.

Coming to the UK illegally in a combination of containers and lorries, he had incurred a £15,000 debt to people smugglers.

He still owed the gangmasters involved that money and so took the work as a cannabis farmer.

Sean Harkin, for Vo, said he had been subjected to coercion and intimidation.

Passing sentence, Recorder Julian Shaw told the defendants:  "It is blindingly obvious that your role was limited, albeit important, undoubtedly under the direction of others.

"I am told and accept that each of you travelled to the country and are present in this country illegally, leaving your home country of Vietnam."

The Recorder also accepted that the defendants 'were liable to exploitation'.

He added: "I am not sure Egremont features on a map during geography lessons in Vietnam. You came to this part of the North West as a result of other, undoubtedly ruthless, criminals."

Those higher level criminals had so far avoided detection, said the judge, adding: "I am satisfied you had no influence on those who recruited you and brought you to Egremont and told you what to do."

Nguyen was jailed for 46 weeks, Tran for 39 weeks and Vo for 46 weeks. All three men have no fixed address.