David Williamson called police when armed men broke into his home and stole two cannabis plants from him.A man who reported the theft of his cannabis plants to the police has been jailed after admitting to the court he intends to keep smoking the drug.
On Tuesday, Sheriff Isabella McColl said she had no other option but to send David Williamson to prison after he claimed he would go on using the class-B drug once his case was dealt with. At Edinburgh Sheriff Court, she sentenced him to ten months in prison. Police were called to Williamson's home to investigate reports that he had been assaulted and robbed but he ended up in court for volunteering that the stolen property was two of his prized cannabis plants. Officers got a warrant to search the 34-year-old's Edinburgh home and discovered a further 20 plants.
Williamson previously admitted producing a controlled drug at his Sighthill home in May this year. On Tuesday, his defence agent Robbie Burnett said Williamson was honest with the police because "four men had rushed in and held him at gun point". The lawyer added his client insisted he would continue to smoke cannabis. Mr Burnett added: "His position is that cannabis has assisted in his mental health and his physical health. It is his intention to go on using it. I regret that's the position."
Fiscal depute Dev Kapadia had told the court at an earlier hearing that the circumstances leading to Williamson's arrest were "rather bizarre". He added: "The police had received an anonymous call reporting a disturbance. And when they arrived at the scene Williamson talked to the police. He said he had been the subject of an assault and robbery and some cannabis plants had been stolen from him. Police officers then took the view that there may be some production ongoing and obtained a warrant." Mr Kapadia said 20 plants, some seedlings and cultivating equipment were recovered from Williamson's Edinburgh home.
The drugs were potentially worth £3000 and the seedlings were worth around £900. During the same hearing Mr Burnett said Williamson used the drug to treat his Hepatitis C. He planned to move to Holland so he could "treat himself" without breaking the law. Sheriff McColl said custody was appropriate given the value of the cannabis recovered and Williamson's record.
