Drugs grower has £104,000 confiscated

A CANNABIS grower has been ordered to hand over £104,000 made through the proceeds of crime.

Barry Steward, 65, from Ellon, Aberdeenshire, had admitted cultivating the illegal drug in his home between April 2007 and April 2008.

He was sentenced to 200 hours of community service and prosecutors used the Proceeds of Crime Act (Poca) to confiscate money he had made through drug dealing.

Lindsey Miller, head of the Serious and Organised Crime Division and the Crown Office’s Poca champion, said: “By virtue of his conviction for cultivating cannabis, Barry Steward triggered schedule 4 to the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.

“This meant that the court was entitled to look at all his income over the last six years, and ruled that £104,650.94 of his income could not be accounted for legitimately.”

The Scottish Government will use the money to support good causes around the country.