Cannabis grower's sentence doubled

[Tom]

A MAN who grew cannabis worth millions of dollars on a property called Hippy Valley in central-western New South Wales has had his jail sentence more than doubled.

 

 

Blaz Skorin, known also as Bill, was sentenced in March to two years and two months' jail for the cultivation of almost 7000 cannabis plants on a property he co-owned near Forbes.

 

Skorin, 31, had pleaded guilty in the District Court to growing plantations, estimated to be worth millions of dollars, from June 2002 and March 2003.

 

 

Today, following an appeal by the prosecutors, his jail term was increased to four and a half years by a panel of three judges in the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal.

 

 

His previous non-parole period of a year was almost trebled to two years and nine months.

 

 

In increasing Skorin's sentence, Justice Bruce James said the original jail term was "not reasonably proportionate to the nature and circumstances of the offence".

 

 

He was arrested in March 2003 after a search warrant uncovered two separate cannabis plantations of mature plants at the Hippy Valley property.

 

 

Skorin had been a director of the company that owned the property.

 

 

During the trial, the court was told that he had at first denied any knowledge of the cannabis crop.

 

 

The plants were fed by an irrigation system sourced from a nearby property, Emu Plains, that belonged to Skorin's uncle, Giuseppe Mammone.

 

 

Three workers who stayed at Hippy Valley during the harvest season were supplied with food from Skorin Delicatessen, owned by the drug growers' parents.

 

 

Skorin had also supplied the workers with sleeping bags and provided equipment, including a vacuum-packing machine.

 

 

Skorin will now be eligible for parole on December 26, 2007.

 

Author:AAP

Date:August 11, 2005

Source:dailytelegraph.news.com.au

Copyright:2005 Nationwide News

 

[dsyfer]

See now that shits me, 2 1/2 years for gardening, yet here in South Aust, you can get a suspended sentance for being drunk and running over a cyclist, dragging them beneath your car for a hundred or so meters, then not stop and check on the guy, don't go straight to the police, but sober up at your attorneys first. Oh did I mention that you should be a lawyer for this to work..

 

I wonder how much jail time a judge would get if their crop was discovered..?..

 

Now I know obviously this person was not growing for personal use, but someone needs to grow for all those that can't.

[quizywig]

shits me too, that poor bloke was just doing a bit of gardening and whats more important he created jobs and employed 3 people,

[WantDaChronic]

whats more important he created jobs and employed 3 people

 

he probably got 3 people off the dole for 6 months, gave them a decent wage + all the buds they could smoke :thumbsup not only that, he has given those people a skill for life which is more than what the government has done lately

[Tom]

he probably got 3 people off the dole for 6 months,

If it was a legal job maybe, I wouldn't be listing cannabis harvesting or trimming as a source of income, :: wonder if the tax department is chasing them for their cut? ::

 

[WantDaChronic]

If it was a legal job maybe, I wouldn't be listing cannabis harvesting or trimming as a source of income, laugh.gif wonder if the tax department is chasing them for their cut?

 

probably, the main reason drugs are illegal these days is because the government cant make money from it, thus the fines when people get caught with drugs :thumbdown if the tax office can prove the person had a massive income from selling the pot, chances are they'll find a loophole and charge the grower tax on his income....

 

my mother works for the ATO and said there was once a herion dealer in a simular situation...he paid the money the tax office wanted, closed shop and they couldnt touch him again...im fairly sure they would have put him in prison by now, but the point is the ato taxed him for selling drugs

[Tom]

With governments it always comes down to money, the state governments want their fines and the federal government want their cut (tax) of your "luxury" as well, for some reason it all makes me think of leeches.

 

[Frazz]

Simple, Do the crime, Do the time.

[uncle acid]

Pricks come near my patch and I,ll shoot em in the head.

[Lugen007]

First, Uncle your an idiot!! Its morons like you that make the cops raid places with guns drawn!! "I'll shot a cop if they come near my plants"...STFU. Did you read the disclaimer before you signed up? MUST BE 18YEARS OLD...

 

Sick of these idiots saying they'll shot cops etc...gives growers a bad repuation.

 

 

 

Anyway...just curious where are the strickest rules for growing in Australia? In Canada 1 plant or 3million, there is no plant numbers...so doesnt matter, only real difference is if you make the paper or not....