A DAD from Wrexham tried to make a living by supplying cannabis.

He was out of work and wanted to support his family and buy presents for his children at Christmas.

Peter Maddocks, 30, then of Gwenfro, Caia Park, admitted possessing cannabis with intent to supply, supplying cannabis between February 16 and last November, cultivating cannabis plants in February and possessing a prohibited weapon, a taser stun gun.

He was jailed for a total of 30 months by Judge John Rogers QC, sitting at Mold Crown Court.

Maddocks, now of Warwick Avenue, Hightown, said he was looking after the stun gun for someone else.

That person knew he had a safe upstairs where for years he would try to save money for such things as holidays.

Prosecuting, Andrew Green said police executed a search warrant at the house in Gwenfro on February 15 and seized three small cannabis plants under a light in the airing cupboard, which Maddocks said were for his own use.

The stun gun was found in the safe and when tested it was found to be in working order. 

A total of 27 grammes of herbal cannabis were found in a bag and 12 sealed bags contained a further 5.4 grammes.

Arrested and interviewed, he said the plants were for his own personal use. He agreed that the other amounts were for onward supply.

Customers would be charged £20 a bag and he had been doing it for about a month.

He would buy about an ounce every other day and divide it up for onward sale.
Maddocks told police he was trying to make a living out of it for his family.

Paul Abraham, defending, said Maddocks, who had a previous conviction for possessing cannabis with intent to supply, had co-operated with the police to such a degree that it had strengthened the case against him.

It was a sad case because Maddocks had made great strides over the past five years and had been working hard as a labourer in the construction industry but he was laid off because of the recession, found himself back on the dole and started to fall further into debt.

He was using cannabis, the amount he was smoking could not be provided for through his benefits while looking after his children and he fell to the temptation to supply cannabis.

“Christmas was coming up, he wanted money for presents, and it is a great shame that he did this because of economic hardship,” Mr Abraham said.

He added there was nothing sinister in his possession of a stun gun. He did not have it to protect his other activities.