Judge apologises after sentencing Albanian cannabis grower on his 33rd birthday

Agim Cjapi was sentenced to 20 months in prison for producing cannabis after police found a large cultivation operation in Kirkby Stephen, Cumbria. The judge apologised because the sentence was imposed on his 33rd birthday, saying she hoped he would have more pleasant birthdays in future.

Police found 293 plants in several rooms, at different stages of growth, in a factory fitted with lighting and irrigation equipment. The crop’s potential street value was estimated at £439,000. Cjapi admitted the offence; his lawyer said he had been smuggled into the UK, was working off travel debt under threats, and had little control or significant earnings. The judge said he was likely to serve about a third of his sentence and that deportation arrangements were expected to begin early.