A mother-of-three had been growing cannabis in her back shed undetected until police got a tip-off.
When they went around to Gayle Joy Leahy’s Lavington home their suspicions were confirmed, a court has heard.
Out the back in her shed was a grow tent and several plants, which police estimated had a street value of at least $12,000.
Magistrate Tony Murray told Leahy in Albury Local Court this week that her offending was nothing trifling.
“Cultivation of cannabis is considered a serious matter by the court,” Mr Murray said.
“Clearly there’s quite a degree of planning in this. It’s not just a matter of throwing seeds into a paddock.”
Leahy, 57, pleaded guilty to a single charge of cultivate a prohibited drug, though she will have to wait until next year to find out her sentencing fate.
That came after Mr Murray ordered that Leahy be assessed for a community service order, before adjourning the case for his final decision on February 15.
The court was told in papers handed to Mr Murray how members of the Albury police drug unit went to Leahy’s home on October 7 in relation to “information received”.
They were greeted at the door by Leahy.
After a brief chat she gave them permission to search her property, though specifically for cannabis plants that were believed to be in a back shed.
Police said Leahy at first denied any knowledge of any cannabis plants and said she could not find the key to unlock a padlock on the shed.
“However, police were standing near the shed and could smell and saw what appeared to be a grow tent through a gap in the shed wall,” they said.
With that they again spoke to Leahy, who said she was “aware” of cannabis plants inside the shed and so produced the missing key.
She opened the shed and police were immediately exposed to “a strong smell of cannabis”.
As soon as they went inside they saw a grow tent “which had numerous power leads coming out of it” as well as a watering system.
Next the officers saw at least six cannabis plants ranging in height from 20 to 30 centimetres in pots, two grow lights and a temperature gauge hanging from the ceiling.
Leahy made full admissions in an interview with police.
However, the court was not told of her reasons for growing the plants.
The court heard Leahy had cultivated the plants from seeds.
