Man jailed for £108k cannabis farm found in house

Vietnamese national Ky Van Le has been jailed for a second time for growing cannabis

A man found looking after up to £108,000 worth of cannabis plants at a house has been jailed for two years.

Ky Van Le, 44, attempted to flee from police when they raided a property on Launceston Road in Newcastle on 23 July, the court heard.

Officers found 323 plants in various stages of growth across five rooms, Newcastle Crown Court was told.

Le, a Vietnamese national who was jailed for a year in 2022 for growing cannabis, admitted producing the Class B drug.

Police found more than 300 cannabis plants in various stages of growth

The plants had a commercial value of between £22,000 and £108,000, prosecutor Stuart Graham said.

The court heard Le was paid £500 per crop and sent money back to Vietnam to pay off debts and look after his wife and five children.

Recorder Jonathan Sandiford KC said it was a "big farm" which was "capable of producing significant quantities of cannabis for commercial use".

He said Le could be subject to deportation upon his release from prison.