Pensioner, 65, caught with huge cannabis farm above his wife’s nail shop

A 65-year-old had taken on a “managerial” position at an illegal cannabis factory in North London, despite having no previous background in crime, a court has heard. Hung Nguyen was caught following a drugs raid at a shop on Watford Way in Mill Hill, where officers found 51 weed plants and a large quantity of drugs.

Appearing today (Thursday, May 26) at Harrow Crown Court, he was spared jail as the judge questioned his lawyer: “He’s getting a little old for this isn’t he?” Nguyen, originally from Vietnam, was first arrested on March 30 after the Metropolitan Police executed a drugs warrant at the retail premises.

Nobody was present and following a search of the three-storey property, they found 51 plants growing cannabis, as well as drug paraphernalia and equipment. On the ground floor, there were also two plastic bags full of loose cannabis, weighing an estimated 800grams worth.

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Prosecutor Emma Antonelli informed the court that electricity had been bypassed “to allow the production of cannabis and to grow cannabis”. Nguyen arrived at the address and attempted to open the shutters, but was unable to after officers had switched off the electricity. When confronted, he told police he was undertaking building work on behalf of the landlord.

An analysis of his phone found that he had screenshots of online orders regarding the drug equipment and that he had once sent a text message saying, “Only six bags left today”. During his police interview, Ms Antonelli said his account “varied” and he said that he had been working at the property to carry out work for his wife’s nail shop.

Calling it a “tragic case”, the court heard that aside from a minor conviction in the 1980s, Nguyen had no previous convictions and was the sole carer for his extremely disabled daughter. During sentencing, Judge Bourne QC said: “You had a significant role, although clearly you had people above you, you had a managerial role in what was going on. This was a sophisticated operation.”

He continued: “Clearly the electricity has been bypassed to avoid paying a large sum of money to light and heat.” Text messages proved that Nguyen had been responsible for the electricity and had been heavily involved in the maintenance of the factory.

“He’s too old for this game,” Judge Bourne told the court. “Clearly you are getting too old for this criminal offending.”

He was handed a 10 month sentence to be suspended for two years, on account of his previous good character and the carer role he played for his daughter. Unable to speak English, the pensioner had struggled during his two months in prison and had felt “isolated”.

Nguyen had pleaded guilty to one count of producing cannabis for distribution, one count of being in possession of cannabis and one count of abstracting electricity.

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