Mr Hippy ran cannabis-growing operation in his garage

Police officers seized £8,000 worth of cannabis and dozens of plants after a drugs factory was uncovered on a quiet residential street in Lincoln. The man who ran the operation, Gregory Hippy, is now awaiting sentence – and could face up to 14 years in prison. Lincoln Magistrates’ Court heard how Mr Hippy's garage had been converted for the sole purpose of cannabis growth.

Bricks had been removed from the garage wall, ventilation pipes had been installed and there were white plastic sheets on the walls. Mr Hippy’s lawyer Tony Freitas insisted the equipment found in the home was already there when he moved in. And he said that the enterprise had merely begun as a small-scale purchase online that had spiralled unexpectedly out of control.



Officers raided the home of Mr Hippy, 36, on May 24, finding 28 cannabis plants in his garage. Mr Hippy appeared at court on Tuesday and admitted producing a class B drug. He was granted unconditional bail for sentencing at Lincoln Crown Court at a later date. Shirley Wilson, prosecuting, said: “The drug experts said there was a strong commercial element to this grow.”

Mr Freitas, defending, told the court that Mr Hippy had grown the cannabis for his own use. He said: “He says he bought the seeds on the internet. To his shock, they kept on seeding so he kept on going with it. He says all the equipment was at the address from the previous tenant. He says he was simply doing it because it was cheaper than buying it.” Mr Hippy denied selling the cannabis for profit.