A MAN has admitted being involved in illegal drug production after a cannabis farm potentially worth almost a quarter of a million pounds was found inside a terraced Carlisle house.

Cuong Nguyen, 32, was charged after police attended the address on Crummock Street, off Wigton Road, on Friday, February 17.

Hundreds of cannabis plants were found in four grow rooms across two floors of the property.

A police drugs expert had concluded that the illegal haul could have yielded cannabis which could potentially have been worth between £82,600 and £247,800 if sold to street users of the drug.

Nguyen appeared at Carlisle Crown Court this morning (Wednesday). He pleaded guilty to producing a quantity of the class B drug.

It was hoped that Vietnamese national Nguyen could have been sentenced straight away for his offence.

But this plan of action hit a snag because an interpreter booked by Nguyen’s legal team was not available for the hearing.

The judge, Recorder Kate Bex KC, wondered whether the case could proceed straight to sentence with the help of a different, court-appointed interpreter who was present.

But Nguyen’s barrister, Anthony Parkington, suggested that course of action would not be appropriate.

“Two weeks ago we were able to discuss the issue of plea (with Nguyen) but weren’t able to go any further of that,” said Mr Parkinson as he addressed the judge.

“And so by proceeding to sentence today I would be limited in what mitigation I could advance on his behalf and, more importantly, the defendant deprived of a sufficiently lengthy private conference with his counsel before the hearing through no fault of his.”

Recorder Bex wondered whether the court-appointed interpreter could assist with such a conference.

But it was agreed this would not be possible either, because of time constraints and other professional commitments involving prosecution and defence counsel in the case this morning.

Nguyen, of no fixed address, is due to be punished for his crime by Recorder Bex on Thursday of next week, August 10.

In the meantime he will remain remanded in custody. Nguyen was told by the judge: “I am sorry we haven’t been able to finalise things today.”