Ex-officer who rigged guns at Penrith cannabis farm jailed

David Allen served in the army for 24 years and Northumbria Police for four years

A former soldier and police officer who rigged weapons around his cannabis farm to protect it has been jailed.

David Allen, 68, grew cannabis on his smallholding near a primary school in Penrith, Carlisle Crown Court heard.

Police found plants potentially worth up to £336,000 and an assortment of knives, air rifles and a crossbow strategically placed around his farm.

Allen was jailed for three years and seven months after admitting producing cannabis.

The court heard Allen, who served in Northern Ireland, Bosnia, the Gulf and Afghanistan during 24 years in the army, was caught after police received reports of a strong smell of cannabis.

Police said the cannabis farm was one of the most sophisticated they had seen

A search in July last year found 80 plants and specialist equipment set up by Allen, who had been a police officer for Northumbria between 1993 and 1997.

One detective described the operation as "one of the most carefully constructed and sophisticated set-ups" he had ever seen, prosecutor Alaric Walmsley said.

A financial probe of his personal and business accounts identified "unexplained cash deposits totalling over £425,000, together with regular transfers of money to an ex-partner in the Philippines", while two passports handed over by Allen to police featured different dates of birth.

Michael Davies, mitigating, said the "real story" was not Allen's short stint as a PC but that through his army service he was a "national hero" who had "stooped to commit this offence".

Mr Davies said that none of the legally-held weapons were loaded and that Allen began using cannabis to self-medicate for a bad back.

Allen also admitted possessing £12,000 in criminal cash found in a set of bedroom drawers.