Illegal immigrant jailed for Brighouse cannabis farm
An illegal immigrant has been jailed for three years after an "industrial" cannabis growing operation was found in an extension attached to a Brighouse hotel and wedding venue.The sophisticated set-up, uncovered in 2024, could have produced cannabis worth almost £500,000 on the wholesale market and up to £1.4m at street value, Bradford Crown Court heard.Le Thanh Long, 23, worked in other parts of the Casa Hotel and Restaurant on Elland Road while hotel guests enjoyed fine dining, prosecutor Nadim Bashir said.Long, of Withington Road in Manchester, was found guilty of being concerned in the production of cannabis, and was jailed on Monday for three years.
Long and four other Vietnamese men were cleared of their involvement in another large cannabis grow uncovered during a police raid on the former Ritz Ballroom on Bradford Road in Brighouse, when 1,800 plants were found inside the former dance venue.The defendants said they were victims of modern slavery and had been forced to work there in January 2024.Electricity workers at the Casa Hotel eventually discovered in August that the supply to the premises had been bypassed, Mr Bashir said.Police set up a "scene guard" overnight following the discovery of the cannabis operation, and more than 1,700 cannabis plants were found in 13 "grow rooms", Mr Bashir said.Long was found to be hiding in the premises before making a bid to escape in the early hours, but was spotted running from the scene by an officer and detained at a nearby bus stop.Barrister Jeremy Barton, defending Long, said his client had worked as a "gardener" for about four months.During sentencing, Judge Kirstie Watson said the cannabis found at the Casa Hotel was being produced on an "industrial basis" and that Long must have been aware of the scale of the operation if he had been involved for four months."I accept that having entered this country illegally, looking for work, that vulnerability was no doubt exploited by others," she told Long via an interpreter.
Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Telegraph
22 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Magic circle executive banned for sexual misconduct at karaoke bar
A former employee at one of London's most prestigious law firms has been banned from working in the legal profession after touching a junior colleague's bottom in a karaoke bar. Vivek Ramsaroop has been punished after the solicitors' watchdog found that he grabbed a fellow worker's waist and started 'rubbing himself' against her while on a work night. At the time, he was an employee at the magic circle firm Linklaters. The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has ruled that the incident, which took place in November 2022, amounted to 'serious sexual misconduct' and banned him from working for other law firms in Britain. As part of its findings, the SRA said Mr Ramsaroop harassed a junior colleague, referred to only as 'Employee A', at a social event organised for Linklaters' London office. The SRA said: 'Whilst at the karaoke bar, Mr Ramsaroop approached Employee A and stood closely to her talking and said the words 'you're gorgeous' and 'you're amazing'.' He then put his arms around her waist and kissed the side of her face for several seconds, the regulator said. 'Shortly afterwards, Mr Ramsaroop started dancing directly behind Employee A, grabbed her waist with both hands and touched her bottom,' the SRA added. Mr Ramaswoop then 'started rubbing himself against' his colleague on the dancefloor 'with his pelvis pressed against Employee A's bottom,' the watchdog said. During his time at Linklaters, Mr Ramaswoop – whose last known address was in Johannesburg – was involved in Linklaters' legal practice but not employed as a solicitor. He specialises in mergers and acquisitions. The SRA said Mr Ramaswoop's conduct constituted 'serious sexual misconduct' as it involved repeated physical contact directed towards a junior colleague. As a result, the regulator issued a so-called 'Section 43' notice against Mr Ramaswoop, which restricts firms from employing individuals deemed to have committed misconduct, even if they are not working as lawyers. Mr Ramaswoop was also ordered to pay a portion of the SRA's £1,350 legal bill. The regulator says it expects law firms to take a 'zero tolerance' approach to sexual misconduct, which covers any abuse of a person's 'professional position to initiate or pursue an improper sexual or emotional relationship'. Linklaters is one of Britain's four 'magic circle' law firms. Last year, it paid its partners an average £1.9m, while its newly-qualified lawyers received starting salaries of £150,000. A Linklaters spokesman said: 'This relates to an incident involving a former employee who had joined the firm a few weeks prior. We had reported the matter to the SRA and the individual left the firm with immediate effect.'
Daily Mail
29 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Rising star rapper took his own life after telling partner he 'was tired and ready to go' after mental health battles when he couldn't see his daughter
A rising star rapper and producer took his own life after struggling with his mental health when he was stopped from seeing his daughter, an inquest heard. Jevon Ellis, 30, accessed mental health crisis services three times in the run-up to his death on March 28 last year. But those who knew the rising star said he was 'very good at pretending he was OK to the outside world' because 'his career as a rapper and producer was very important to him.' Mr Ellis had played at numerous festivals, had his music used on a Nike campaign and was featured on a list of NME's top 100 new artists to watch. But in 2023 his mental health began to deteriorate, which was compounded by the fact that access to his daughter had been withdrawn. His latest partner, who had a son with Mr Ellis, said in a statement that 'keeping up an image was important to him at the cost of his overall health.' Mica Simms, who had met Mr Ellis in 2018, said she was aware that he had struggled with his mental health and had been suicidal before they had got together. 'He was having trouble regulating his emotions,' she said. 'Jevon was incredibly intelligent and loving but he would often speak about committing suicide as a means of escaping his emotional turmoil.' Coroner Jean Harkin added: 'She (Mica) was aware Jevon had something wrong with his mental health and he was suicidal at times from very early on in their relationship. 'He had told her about a previous suicide attempt that had taken place when he was with the mother of his eldest child.' The mother of his eldest child was not named, although both she and Miss Simms were present for the hearing at Inner West London Coroner's Court. On the morning of March 29 last year, Mr Ellis left Ms Simms' house and sent her a message saying 'he was going to end it all, that he was tired and ready to go.' 'He expressed he was sorry but couldn't continue the battle,' Mrs Harkin added. Ms Simms tried to communicate with him but received no answer. Mrs Harkin added: 'After a while she knew something was different this time. 'She felt in her heart that he had gone through with it.' Ms Simms went to where Mr Ellis had been living at Wimbledon Art Studios in south west London but a building manager couldn't gain access to his unit. She then asked her stepfather to try and break in and he found Mr Ellis hanging. PC Michelle Brown was the first police officer at the scene and identified the musician from his passport which was found nearby. There was no note, the door was locked from the inside and Mr Ellis had no injuries, save those caused by the noose around his neck. At 10.01am that day he had sent a text message saying: 'I'm on the chair. Bye' and had also said he 'should just hang the demon' referring to himself, the court heard. Det Sgt William Hanlan, of the Met Police, told the court he was brought in to look into whether some of the interactions between Mr Ellis and Ms Simms 'may have led to Jevon taking his own life.' There were tens of thousands of messages found on Mr Ellis' Macbook, which highlighted a 'very fractured' relationship, Det Sgt Hanlan said. 'They clearly love each other but they clearly have a love-hate relationship also,' he said. 'There has been quite a lot of discussion about suicide,' he added. 'Mica is understanding of Jevon's struggles but you can also see levels of frustration from her sometimes. 'There is a lot of heated discussion but there's nothing to suggest Mica knew or encouraged Jevon to take his own life.' He added that there had been domestic incidents between them from both sides and they were 'both either the aggressor or the victim at one time or another.' He concluded that no one else had been involved with Mr Ellis' choice to end his life. Dr Marcus Hughes, consultant psychiatrist at St George's Hospital in Tooting, south west London, outlined his team's contact with the 30-year-old and said he had no recorded history of poor mental health prior to 2023. He had three emergency assessments - one in February 2023 and two in December the same year. The one in February took place after Mr Ellis took an overdose and was taken to A&E, but he said he wasn't suicidal and had had taken the tablets 'impulsively' and 'was expressing remorse.' He was given details of a crisis line, and Dr Hughes added: 'I think what came through very strongly was his distress at not having access to his daughter.' He was given further details for Fathers4Justice and Families Need Fathers, a charity for parents, and was encouraged to return to the hospital if he felt he was unable to remain safe. But he returned for a second time on December 13, 2023, saying he was having suicidal thoughts. Dr Hughes added: 'He said he wanted help to be a better father and felt he needed therapy. 'He also spoke about cult-like behaviours he experienced producing music in Los Angeles, from big names and people of power.' Just over a fortnight later he was brought in for a third time following fears he may hang himself in his music studio. A friend abroad had called British police when he sent her a text showing an image of a noose. But he promised he wasn't suicidal and just wanted the clarification of a diagnosis, Dr Hughes added. Asked if he felt Mr Ellis had received appropriate treatment, Dr Hughes said: 'He was offered a lot of opportunity of access to mental health services and the type of problems that seem to be emerging are some emotional instability and suicidal thoughts that he wasn't completely open about. 'The likelihood is we might have helped him had he engaged with treatment over a period of months in the community, rather than emergency presentations.' The court heard that in July 2023 he told a GP that he had low mood, but wasn't suicidal and he was given a community mental health team referral, agreeing that counselling may help. A telephone consult followed in December 2023 and talking therapies were suggested but he didn't answer the phone. A further telephone consultation was offered the same month but Mr Ellis said he preferred to be contacted by email as he was abroad. There was no record of Mr Ellis being known to mental health services in Coventry, where he had lived from the age of 10 up until he moved to London in 2017. A toxicology report was clear of drugs and alcohol and the cause of death was found to be hanging. Mr Ellis' sister Ria, who attended the hearing with his parents, helped raise £13,500 for Mr Ellis' children on a Just Giving page. She said 'the Ellis family cannot even begin to convey our gratitude for the outpour of love we have received from everyone who loved and knew Jevon.' And she added: 'If you knew Jev, you knew that nothing mattered more to him than his children… 'Your kindness and compassion will help to provide Jevon's children with a glimmer of hope during this dark period of grief which is all he would have wanted.' Coroner Mrs Harkin recorded a verdict of suicide. She said: 'Jevon had no reported mental health illness prior to his later years. 'Jevon reported distress at not seeing his daughter. It's clear he saw his son, but not his daughter. 'I'm satisfied that the help that was given to Jevon was appropriate. In addition the police investigated Jevon's death and found no evidence of third person involvement. 'He was given the opportunity to look into any problems he thought he had by contact with the crisis team and other organisations and there is no evidence that any mental health diagnosis developed over time. 'Jevon performed the act himself without a third person and by performing that act Jevon intended to die. 'Although there was no note of intent it's clear that Jevon had considered hanging as a form of ending his life.' And she added: 'It's very clear that Jevon was a gifted musician. He was charismatic, confident and also encouraged to pursue his dreams. 'He was kind, generous and a mentor to others and he had two children that he loved. 'I hope that these memories give his family some comfort.'
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Sacked Dorset officer says body worn video 'destroyed' him
A police officer sacked over his arrest of a teenager has said he has been "destroyed" by body worn footage of the arrest being published. PC Lorne Castle was dismissed without notice for gross misconduct following his detention of a 15-year-old boy in Bournemouth in January 2024. Dorset Police released body-worn camera footage of the incident, in which the officer shouted and swore, telling the boy: "Stop resisting or I'm going to smash you." Speaking to the BBC after his dismissal, the 46-year-old father of three said he "was not proud" of the arrest, but at the time he reacted from "fear". An independent panel found PC Lorne Castle's actions amounted to gross misconduct, and he was dismissed without panel found Castle did not treat the teenager with courtesy or respect, and that his shouting, swearing, finger pointing, taking hold of the boy's face and throat, and suggesting the use of leg restraints were not necessary, proportionate or panel found the force used to take him to the ground was necessary, reasonable and Police said a knife was found on the boy afterwards, but beforehand there had been no suggestion he was armed or that a knife had been force said no further action was taken against the teenager, but he was issued with an out of court disposal for possessing the Chief Constable Rachel Farrell said the force was sharing the footage to be transparent and address Castle, who admitted misconduct but denied gross misconduct, said he wanted to appeal against the panel's online appeal set up for him by a retired police officer has so far raised more than £68,000. You can follow BBC Dorset on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
