Motorcyclist gives police footage from crash - but video revealed he had been growing his own cannabis

A motorcyclist handed over footage to police of his own bike crash, but the video revealed to officers that he had been growing his own cannabis.

Michael Clark, 61, crashed his motorbike back in June 2018 and willingly gave officers footage from a body camera to show the details of the accident.

However, when police watched the footage on the video, it also showed Clark telling someone about the cannabis he was growing at home, Leeds Crown Court heard.

When police went to investigate at the property at Clark Crescent, in the city’s Cross Green area, they found a tent used for production in the attic. There was just over 707 grams worth of the drug which was worth £6,000 to £7,000.

Mehran Nassiri, prosecuting, said Clark produced cannabis for his own use and grows four plants a year and had done for the last three years.

Mr Nassiri added that Clark had 21 previous convictions for 57 offences including drug possession and cultivation of cannabis.

"He resorted to growing his own because he did not want to pay and handed himself in."

Judge Neil Clark sentenced Clark to 60 hours of unpaid community work, which has to be carried out within the next 12 months, and ordered that the drugs be destroyed.

For failing to surrender to a warrant, Clark had spent two days in custody so the court ruled out any further custodial sentence.

Judge Clark added: "You crashed your motorcycle, gave them (police) the camera and on the camera you say you are growing cannabis to somebody else so that it is how it was found."

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