A SHOPKEEPER grew cannabis worth £3,000 for pain relief after he lost the use of his left arm in a road accident as a teenager, a court was told.

David Ginty’s nerves had been ripped from his spinal cord and could not be repaired.

He had been prescribed high-dosage painkillers for years, but they caused damage to his liver and kidney, and had stopped working over time.

Police had found 10 plants at the defendant’s then home when they raided it on August 28, Burnley magistrates heard.

The hearing was told Ginty refused to return home from work when contacted by police. Officers, who forced their way in after getting a warrant, found a ‘relatively sophisticated set-up’.

The defendant, of Fell View, Weir, admitted producing cannabis. Ginty, who had no previous convictions, was fined £350, with a £15 victim surcharge and must pay £85 costs.

Tom Snape, prosecuting, said police received information about a strong smell of cannabis from an address in Rochdale Road, Bacup.

Officers could smell the drug and hear an extractor system. They saw evidence of a pipe at the back of the premises, running under the guttering. They contacted the defendant, who was working and refused to come home.

Mr Snape said Ginty attended at the police station for a voluntary interview and admitted responsibility. He said the cannabis was for his personal use.

The hearing was told the potential yield for the plants was said to be worth about £3,300.

Ben Leech, for Ginty, said one of the plants was dead or dying and would not have yielded any cannabis.

He had been a cannabis user for some time. Ginty had been in a serious collision when he was an 18-year-old passenger in a vehicle and had lost the use of his left arm. He suffered incredible pain and was on painkillers for many years.