Inside the South Wales travellers’ site built with £3million of taxpayer’s cash which grateful residents turned into major cannabis farm
Caravans were renovated using £3million from the Welsh Government
A TRAVELLER'S site which was built with £3million of taxpayers cash was turned into a giant cannabis plantation with half of the caravans converted for dope growing.
The 12 out of 24 caravans were renovated using public money from Welsh Government and were used as a cover for a drug-growing operation worth up to £340,000 a year.
Ten men were sentenced today for their part in the operation although they all claimed it was for their personal use.
Their Glynmill Gypsy and Traveller Site in Merthy Tydfil, South Wales, had £3million in grants for improvements including the community hall, toilet blocks and landscaping.
A police search operation, which involved the National Crime Agency, discovered 453 plants in 12 of the 24 caravans on site which homed around 120 people.
Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court heard how there were more than 100 officers and 30 vehicles involved in the swoop which found the camp was home to a "highly lucrative" cannabis farm.
Prosecutor, Leuan Morris, said: "This was an organised group involved in the production of cannabis worth between £90,000 and £340,000.
"In the raid on the three acre site in February last year they discovered cannabis plants being grown with sophisticated hydroponic systems.
"Cannabis plants of various stages of growth were recovered as was the paraphernalia associated with large scale production.
"They entered their pleas on the basis that they were individually involved for their own purpose and not aware of any other goings on on the site.
"There is an element of commercial supply, not just for personal use."
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Andrew Jakes, 37, Adam Jones, 24, Barry Jones, 34, Brinnie Mocham, 19, Peter Gilheaney, 18, Steven Francis Gilheaney, 34, Martin Gilheaney, 27, and Peter Patrick Gilheaney, 37, all from the Glynmil camp, admitted conspiracy to produce cannabis and cannabis production.
Steven Gilheaney was sentenced to six months and Martin and Peter Gilheaney to eight months.
Another two, Edward Probert, 28, of Pontypool, Gwent and William Williams, 20, of Merthyr Tydfil, also pleaded guilty to the same charges.
Probert received a conditional discharge and Williams was given a five month sentence in a youth rehabilitation order, both suspended for 12 months.
Owner Craig William Bennett was awarded the £3million from the Welsh Government in three grants between 2011 and 2014 to improve the camp with three toilets blocks, a community hall and a school at the site.
The court heard Bennett then rented the site back to the local council who provided the camp for the travellers.
Bennett was due to be a key witness in the trial but failed to appear at court and wrote to the prosecution saying he was not going to come.
The father-of-four refused to take the stand in court after being called as a witness, but he was then prosecuted for contempt of court after the trial collapsed.
He was fined £500 for contempt of court by the judge.
Earlier this month, two female travellers were shamed online for shopping in Tesco in their pyjamas.
The pair had just nipped out to buy milk for a five-month-old baby at 7pm when their clothing attracted widespread criticism and sparked a debate on dress codes in supermarkets.
They were later shocked to find they had been photographed inside the shop by a customer who later tried to get them banned from Tesco.
One of the women, who wished to remain anonymous, said: "I’ll be honest, I was kind of hungover and just wanted to get something for my baby and some snacks with my mum.
“We had already put our pyjamas on for the evening so didn’t think anything of it, we didn’t think we would be internationally shamed."
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