A CANNABIS farmer great-grandfather caught with almost £60,000 worth of the drug told police who had just raided his Port Glasgow home that it was all for ‘personal use’.

Brian McEwan, 65, — who has a previous conviction for possession of an illegal substance with intent to supply — claimed that he grew the bumper crop to ease chronic pain.

But he is today behind bars after being jailed following an appearance on indictment at Greenock Sheriff Court after drugs officers declared that the haul was ‘excessive’.

McEwan looked to the floor of the dock as Sheriff Derek Hamilton handed him a sentence of more than three years.

He told the accused: “You had a substantial and well organised cannabis production operation.”

An intelligence-led raid on McEwan’s rented Broadfield Avenue home — which took place on his 65th birthday on July 6 last year — uncovered a sophisticated locked growing room, complete with three cultivation tents and an array of other equipment.

Procurator fiscal depute Emma Jeffrey said: “Entry was gained and two people were within — the accused and his son.

“Both confirmed that they resided at the locus.

“One police officer was noting the details of the accused and his son and the accused stated, ‘Shut up, it’s my house, it’s mine — nothing to do with him’.

“One bedroom had a lock on it and it was forced open.

“There was a suitcase full of cannabis and three tents used for growing cannabis within the room.”

The court heard that cannabis with a potential overall street value of nearly £60,000 was found within the property.

Within the suitcase were sealed polythene bags containing £21,000 and £17,240 worth of the drug respectively.

A further two bags, each containing £10,000 worth of the herbal material, were recovered from the floor of the bedroom.

Within a kitchen cupboard was around £200 worth and a plant that was still growing within one of the tents had a potential value of £600.

Prosecutor Miss Jeffrey said: “Other items seized included a timer, thermometer, lights, plant nutrients, a fan, a Stanley knife, water pump and ducting.”

McEwan — who made ‘full and frank admissions’ to police — had bought all of his growing gear from a shop in Trongate, Glasgow, the court was told. 

Miss Jeffrey said: “He said that he had been growing the cannabis for medicinal use.”

The court was told that specialist drugs officers from Police Scotland considered that the amount of cannabis which had been seized was ‘excessive for personal use’.

However, prosecutors accepted his not guilty plea to a charge of being concerned in the supply of cannabis after he admitted an allegation of producing it.

Defence lawyer Aidan Gallagher said: “Mr McEwan tells me that he has smoked cannabis for more than 40 years and that his consumption has increased in recent years.

“His joints often seize and he tells me that he is constantly in pain as a result of a heavy fall he had 12 years ago.

“He tells me that he smokes a lot to ease the pain and can consume between a quarter and half-an-ounce per day.”

Mr Gallagher added: “There had been plants fairly recently cut and put into zip lock bags.

“I’m told that they can last anything up to two years and still be capable of being smoked.

“Mr McEwan is a grandfather and indeed a great-grandfather now and he finds himself in the sheriff court with his liberty at stake.

“This matter has brought about shame on him and the rest of his family.

“He may well lose his house if he loses his liberty, and at the end of the day, the housing authority has no responsibility to re-house him.”

Sheriff Derek Hamilton told McEwan: “I have considered everything that has been said on your behalf and your record.

“Your offending is of some age, but significantly you have a previous conviction for possession of a drug with intent to supply.

“You have pleaded guilty to producing a Class B drug and, on any view, you had a substantial and well organised cannabis production operation.”

The sheriff added: “Your position is that the six kilograms of cannabis recovered was for personal use, but that is not something that is supported by the statement of police officers.”

McEwan was sentenced to 38 months imprisonment. He was told that the term would have been one of four years were it not for his early guilty plea.