A FAMILY man was caught with £100,000-worth of cannabis just an hour after he had taken delivery of it.

Harry Cochrane, 52, had 23 kilos of the class-B drug in a box in his hallway when police raided his home in March, Durham Crown Court heard yesterday.

Despite admitting acting as a courier for the cannabis resin, which was separated into a number of large blocks, the recorder John Norris only gave him a 12-month suspended prison sentence after listening to a catalogue of family misfortune.

Following Cochrane's son's death from cystic fibrosis several years ago, his wife became depressed and alcoholic. The former baker gave up his career to care for her and the resulting stress contributed to a critical heart condition, which may need a second bypass operation.

His wife pleaded with him not to store the drugs, but he needed the £200 cash he was to be paid, the court heard.

Mark Davies, prosecuting, said police obtained a search warrant and raided his house on March 1. They found the cardboard box containing cannabis resin blocks, and nearly £1,500 in cash stashed around the house.

In police interviews, he initially told officers he had found the box in his back garden, but when told he had been under surveillance he admitted what had happened.

Mr Davies said: "He said a man he knew told him to meet a stranger at Durham railway station, who would hand over a box.

"He took the box home and was to hold it there until someone came to collect it. He was not willing to name others involved, for fear of repercussions."

Cochrane, of Lingholme, north Durham, pleaded guilty to being concerned with the supply of a class-B drug.

Chris Morrison, defending, said his client had been a pawn in a larger operation. He said: "The defendant did it purely and simply to earn some money. He had been a 'houser' and had only had it in his possession for an hour when the police arrived."

Sentencing Cochrane, Mr Norris told him: "Go home to your wife and both get well."

An order was made for the drugs to be destroyed.