Oliver Hawksworth, 40, and Adam Morgan, 41, were arrested after police raided two industrial units in the Ripon area. Prosecutor Emily Hassell said the first police raid was at an industrial unit in Juniper Grove on March 12, 2021, following a tip-off that the premises were being used as a cannabis farm. Advertisement Advertisement Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to Harrogate Advertiser, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.
Officers found 70 plants grown in two separate rooms. Most of these were immature plants which were kept in the “nursery room”. The total estimated yield of two kilos would have been worth up £20,000 if sold in kilos, or up to £28,400 if sold in ounces, said Ms Hassell.
Morgan, the leaseholder for the unit, was arrested at his home later that day and told police: “I know what this is about.” Hawksworth was arrested at his home on the same day when police seized £1,030 cash, two mobile phones and a “marijuana-growers’ handbook”. Advertisement Advertisement They also found tubs of cannabis, three large “drug-type” containers which were empty but smelled strongly of the Class B drug, four pairs of plant cutters and plastic sheeting.
Investigations also revealed that Hawksworth had links to another industrial unit in Fishergreen, Ripon. The following day, police searched a unit at the industrial estate and found 68 cannabis plants, including 30 mature plants and others which were part of a “follow-u.