A Denbighshire man caught with £10,000 worth of cannabis plants has been handed a 10-month suspended prison sentence.

When police executed a warrant at a property in Maes Y Llan in Dwygyfylchi they found a small-scale cannabis farm which Chris Roberts, 61, of Llansannan admitted was his responsibility, Mold Crown Court was told.

Roberts told police that another man and a woman who were at the property at the time where his carers, although he later tried to apportion the blame on them for the drugs production.

But initially, when quizzed he had said “It is for me”, outlined prosecuting barrister Sion Ap Mihangel.

The cannabis plants were in the lounge of the property and in other rooms there were feeding items, while there was evidence the drugs were being protected by security as a tamper proof lock was found by police.

In all there was around 1,000g of cannabis with a street value of £10,000. In addition 35 saplings with up to 24,000 leaves were found, but Mr Ap Mihangel noted: “Some of the cannabis was mouldy and wasn’t of good quality.”

The prosecutor said that in his first interview Roberts made a full and frank admission that all the items were his but later “went back on that and tried to blame” the other two people.

Roberts, now of Maes Aled, Llansannan admitted production of cannabis and possession of cannabis with intent to supply in 2017.

Judge Niclas Parry told him he would normally have sent him to prison as there was a “significant” amount of drugs and “care was being taken to make detection difficult”.

But he suspended Roberts’ 10-month custodial sentence for 12 months and said: “These are not normal circumstances and you have acted out of character and that is because of your mental health difficulties.”

The judge told Roberts he would have to attend a Proceeds of Crime hearing on September 2.