Man's happy snap of cannabis plants lands him in trouble

It was the happy snap that caught an Australian man out in a lie. Officers found this photograph of Adam Shane Anderson posing with his cannabis crop despite denying he had grown the drug before. But when Cairns police found this photo of Adam Shane Anderson on his digital camera, during a raid at his Edmonton home on his 21st birthday, it was the least of his problems. They were there to arrest him for threatening to kill a man's dog and harm his family for a $3000 drug debt.

Police also found 17 cannabis plants during the January 9 raid, but Anderson told them it was the first time he had successfully grown the drugs. Then they found the photo of him posing with an earlier, healthy and thriving crop. Yesterday, Anderson pleaded guilty in Cairns Supreme Court to six charges, including extortion and producing dangerous drugs.



The court heard Anderson had threatened a man who had allegedly shortchanged a mate in a drug deal. Anderson, as the broker of the deal, felt personally responsible and pursued the money vehemently, going as far as kidnapping the man's father's dog. The man who owed the debt left town before the dog's kidnapping after Anderson threatened to harm his wife and children.

Police became involved on January 9, and raided Anderson's house to seize his phone from which he had sent a number of threatening text messages. It was there they found the cannabis and photos, Crown prosecutor Roger Griffith said. Defence barrister Barry Murray said Anderson felt ashamed for what he had done. Anderson has been remanded in custody since January and Justice Stanley Jones will sentence him today.