AN illegal immigrant described as the 'gardener' for around 150 cannabis plants found in a disused pub has been jailed after police uncovered the production line.

Ervin Doksani, 31, appeared before Swindon magistrates yesterday charged with producing cannabis at the Meerkat public House on Beatrice Street.

The homeless Albanian pleaded guilty to the charge through Albanian interpreter Miranda Hankau.

The court heard that Doksani had come to the UK in January illegally in the hope of finding work to support his two disabled parents, wife and two young children back in Albania. But without the correct paperwork he had been unable to find work and was living on the streets of London.

He met a man in a coffee shop who offered him £2,000 a month to look after his plants at a pub in Swindon.

Keith Ballinger, prosecuting, told the court that police had gone to the pub on Saturday after receiving reports of squatters.

They found the rear of the premises were unsecured and a smell of cannabis coming from within the building and they said they could hear extractor fans.

He said: “They shouted into the address and whilst they received no reply they could hear footsteps from within the property. On entering the property they found cannabis being grown over four rooms on the first floor and some 150 cannabis plants were located.

"As well as the plants, in one room there was some cut up cannabis and cannabis residue. The landing and the loft was full of cannabis plants cuttings, hung and drying.”

Doksani was arrested at the scene and taken to the police station where he made “full and frank admissions”.

Mr Ballinger said: “He said he was simply looking after the plans and watered them and switched the lights on and off. He said he had been at the address for around three months.”

Defending Doksani, Emma Thacker told magistrates that she had been present during police questioning over the weekend when Doksani had been incredibly remorseful and had given the police as much information about the man who had brought him to Swindon as he could.

She said: “This person appears to have been aware that Mr Doksani was vulnerable at that time and offered him employment. He reports that everything was in place in that address, all of the equipment was there and the plants were already in situ.

"He was given an instruction guide which detailed what was expected of him whilst he was at this address looking after these plants. He has undertaken these to the best of his ability.

“It is very clear that he was not involved in the managerial stages of this operation, he has been exploited by somebody higher up the chain.”

She added that immigration officials had not served any papers on him, but were keen to be updated on the progress of the case before making a decision.

“I think that this means he will be deported, it is simply a case of when this will happen,” she said.

Sentencing him, chairman of the bench Jane Flew said: “This is a very serious offence. This was a large production of cannabis plants, clearly for commercial gain. You must have known that this was wrong.

“We do feel that you were motived by financial gain, but accept that you were never paid a penny. We accept fully that you played very much a lesser role in all of this and you were persuaded into going and performing this job.

"We accept that you are co-operating with the police and assisting them with further investigations.”

Saying there was no other alternative, she sentenced Doksani to 26 weeks behind bars and ordered him to pay an £80 victim surcharge.