A man was fined for growing cannabis plants – for personal use – in his garden shed.

Dennis Bettle, 45, of Hawthorn Road, St Neots, appeared at Huntingdon Magistrates’ Court on Thursday (November 7) where he pleaded guilty to producing a controlled class B drug.

Jackie Carradice, prosecuting, told the court: “A search warrant was executed at the defendant’s address and he was frank and open with officers and showed them to the garden shed where four almost mature cannabis plants were found growing.”

She added: “He fully admitted growing them for an experiment for his own personal use.”

The court heard that Bettle intended to use the plants for health purposes, to alleviate symptoms.

Kevin Warboys, mitigating, said: “There was no sophistication to this at all. I wouldn’t have suspected that the plants would have had much prospect of success.”

Bettle was fined £250 and ordered to pay a £25 victim surcharge and £85 court costs.

The court ordered the destruction of the plants.