Two men have admitted a drug production offence after cannabis potentially worth in the region of £4.5million was found on the upper floor of a former Carlisle nightclub.
Police said around 450kg of cannabis — harvested and ready for distribution — was recovered after officers attended and gained access to a property on Lancaster Street, off Crown Street, at around 2.45pm on May 10 this year.
Two men who tried to flee the building — formerly home to the Pagoda nightspot — were captured by police and appeared at the city’s crown court this morning.
Florian Daci, 24, and 28-year-old Edward Pula both pleaded guilty to producing cannabis, a controlled drug of class B. They appeared in court remotely over video links from custody, and were assisted by an Albanian interpreter during a short hearing in front of a judge, Recorder Julian Shaw.
Daci had been taken to hospital after police attended the building and, said his lawyer Jeff Smith, was still currently relying on crutches.
Pula told the court his role in the illegal enterprise had involved watering the plants.
Lawyers for both defendants declined the option of having probation service pre-sentence reports prepared. “I think what the court will eventually do with Mr Daci is inevitable,” said Mr Smith of a looming prison sentence.
Imran khan, for Pula, added: “It is likely it will be custody and nothing else.”
Both men, of no fixed addresses, will be sentenced in due course and are next due to appear at the crown court on July 7 having been remanded in custody.
Recorder Shaw told them: “You will, of course, get the appropriate credit (sentencing discount) for pleading today. Though as both your counsel observe, a custodial sentence is inevitable.”
- A third man detained by police in relation to the Lancaster Street incident was taken to hospital where he is believed to remain. It had been previously said that detectives would interview him once he has been discharged.
