An Invercargill man pleaded guilty in the Invercargill District Court today (January 19) to growing and supplying cannabis, worth approximately $30,000, over the course of a year.

Hemi Nigel Batchelor (42) pleaded guilty to cultivating cannabis, possessing cannabis for supply, and selling cannabis. 

According to the summary of facts, when asked by police why he had such a large cannabis growing operation in his garage, he replied that he enjoyed working with cannabis and said the financial side of it was “a bonus”.

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Police stumbled upon the find by chance after responding to an unrelated incident a Bactchelor’s Invercargill address, on October 17, 2020.

Police officers noticed a strong smell of cannabis wafting from the detached garage, and quickly carried out a warrant search.

Inside the garage, police found a 2m x 3m, purpose-built cannabis growing room made of timber. 

The room was equipped with LED lights, fans, temperature and humidity meters, a dehumidifier, a fan to take the smell out of the room as well as numerous plastic bottles containing nutrients, which were used for the cultivation process. 

The cannabis growing operation was described as “reasonably sophisticated” by police.

There were also two canvas growing tents inside the makeshift room, each containing cannabis plants at various stages of growth. 

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In one tent were 20 clone plants and 13 plants at the “vegetative stage” in the other tent, were a further 18 “more advanced cannabis plants,” growing in soil.

In a nearby chest of draws, police found two sets of scales, plastic snap lock bags and other equipment used to sort the cannabis for distribution. 

They also discovered five glass coffee jars containing 585 grams of dried cannabis head, as well as 289 grams of lower quality cannabis plant material in various containers. 

The defendant admitted to selling ounce bags for $400 each and a few $50 bags.  He said if sold at $400 per ounce, 585 grams of cannabis would net a return of $8360. 

Judge John Brandts-Giesen remanded Batchelor on bail for a pre-sentence report on February 25.