A St Albans man has been jailed for 19 months for “crop-sitting” more than 430 cannabis plants in a Brunswick factory.
Doanh Van Duong and his co-accused both pleaded guilty to single charges of cultivating a commercial quantity of cannabis
The County Court heard Duong was involved as a crop-sitter for a cannabis growing operation that yielded 433 cannabis plants weighing 70 kilograms between April 2 and May 2 this year.
Police found the cannabis growing inside eight tents in the main area of the factory, with each tent filled with plants at “various stages of growth”.
Duong was arrested on May 2 and confessed to the crime.
Justice Peter Kidd said at a sentencing hearing last month 23-year-old Vietnamese-born Duong had no prior criminal history and fully co-operated with police.
“I do not lose sight of the fact that you both fall to be sentenced as crop-sitters and that you are both low down on the hierarchy of moral culpability,” he said.
“You co-operated with police and made full admissions. You pleaded guilty at the earliest possible opportunity.
“Your early plea is evidence of remorse, acceptance of responsibility of your offending and it also carries a utilitarian benefit in saving the community time and expense at protracted legal proceedings.”
Duong will be eligible for parole in 10 months.
