A Braybrook man has pleaded guilty to growing commercial quantities of marijuana and stealing electricity from an energy company to power his hydroponic set-up.
Binh Quoc Bui, 65, pleaded guilty to cultivating narcotic plants and stealing electricity from AGL Retail Energy Limited. He faced a maximum punishment of 10 years’ jail.
Bui received a minimum sentence of three years, minus the six months he has already served.
He was accused of growing 94 cannabis plants in a hydroponic set-up at a house in Airforce Drive between July and October last year.
County Court Judge Michael McInerney said possessing almost 40kg of the drug was classed as a “very serious offence”.
Judge McInerney ordered the Vietnamese former refugee to pay AGL Energy $10,900 in compensation.
In a separate case last month, a man was jailed for five years and three months for growing a commercial quantity of cannabis in a sophisticated hydroponic operation at Sunshine North.
Quoc Pham was one of a group of Vietnamese people involved in the operation for which they rented out a factory in Sunshine North and set up a seven-room growing facility.
Mr Pham will be eligible for parole in three years and four months.
Priscilla Moca
