Two men were found to be tending a large-scale sophisticated cannabis grow across several rooms of a residential property in a County Durham village.

Police executing a search warrant at the property in Langley Park on May 15, found two men of Lithuanian nationality, Tadas Bernotas and Pavel Seikovski, in the kitchen area.

Durham Crown Court was told both men were arrested before officers going from room to room of the house in Kingswood discovered the extent of the growing operation they were running.

Victoria Lamballe, prosecuting, said a total of 576 cannabis plants in various stages of growth were recovered, 171 of them considered to be mature, and ready for harvesting.

(Image: Durham Constabulary)

Miss Lamballe told the court there was the now “usual array” of growing equipment seen in such operations, with lighting rigs, watering and ventilation systems and nutrient supply, while the electricity meter for the property was bypassed to provide free power.

A police drugs expert estimated that based on wholesale values the plant yield could be worth between £29,000 and £87,000.

(Image: Durham Constabulary)

Fingerprints of both defendants were found on fans and lights in three of the growing rooms.

The officers also recovered a laptop computer, mobile phone, and keys to the property, as well as a Volkswagen Passat car parked outside.

Miss Lamballe said the men appeared to have been living in the property at the time, although no cash was recovered from either of them.

Both 35-year-old Bernotas and Seikovski, 31, each said to be of no fixed abode, admitted production of a class B drug.

(Image: Durham Constabulary)

James Wing, representing both defendants, said they were of previous good character.

Mr Wing described both as, “fundamentally honest, hard-working men”, who became involved, “working as gardeners” when harder labour jobs they were previously doing came to an end.

He said in Bernotas’s case, it was after he suffered a fractured forearm.

Mr Wing said both have poor English language skills so they were assisted in court by a Lithuanian interpreter.

He said that both played a lesser role in the operation, “performing menial labour for which they would receive menial wages”.

But Judge Jo Kidd did not accept that description, saying they were operating a sophisticated cannabis grow, of which they would have been fully aware of the scale.

She noted that the defendant Bernotas is a qualified engineer.

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Jailing both for 21 months, she said they would serve up to half in prison and it would then be a matter for the Home Office to decide if they should be deported.

Judge Kidd ordered forfeiture and destruction of the seized plants and equipment.

She also ordered confiscation of the VW Passat which was taken into police “custody” after the raid.