A LISS family has been sentenced at the end of a case in which they were tried on charges that included allowing buildings at their farm to be used to grow cannabis on an industrial scale.
John Richard William Stroud, 65, and Patricia Mary Stroud, 63, both from Summerdale Farm in Liss, and their son, Simon John Holmes Stroud, 42, from Bogmore Close, Four Marks, were sentenced at Winchester Crown Court recently, at a sentencing and confiscation hearing under the Drug Trafficking Act.
At a hearing at Aldershot Magistrates Court on April 19, 2001, John Stroud and Simon Stroud had faced charges of producing cannabis, unlawful possession of cannabis and permitting premises to be used to produce cannabis.
At the same hearing Patricia Stroud was charged with being concerned with the production of cannabis, possession of the class ÔBÕ drug and permitting premises to be used to produce cannabis.
At Winchester, Simon Stroud was sentenced to four years in prison and John Stroud to two years. Patricia Stroud was sentenced to one year suspended for two years.
The senior police officer at Petersfield, Insp Steve Sargent, said, ÒThe case arose after police officers raided Summer-dale Farm in Liss in February 2001. They discovered two farm buildings which had been converted for the hydroponic cultivation of cannabis plants on an industrial scale.
ÒAt the end of the confiscation hearing, John and Patricia Stroud were ordered to pay £56,000 each within six months after the hearing and to pay costs of £3,000 each.