Plan B Forum

A father of two who legally pocketed up to £16,000 in state benefits because he smokes cannabis was condemned by a judge today.

Paul Holland, 21, who has been smoking the drug since he was ten said it made him depressed and he had been prescribed anti-depressants as a result.

But his condition meant he was able to claim £60 a week incapacity benefit on the grounds his illness has made him unable to work since he left school at 16.

He also has a six-month-old baby with a long-term medical problem.

At Burnley Crown Court, a senior judge condemned the payments at taxpayers' expense after Holland appeared before him over a cannabis farm he grew at his home in Church, near Accrington in Lancashire.

Judge Heather Lloyd told him: 'No doubt a significant part of your problems are caused by excessive use of cannabis.

'I'm not a doctor, but there is plenty of medical evidence to show it is not uncommon for depression and anxiety, which could lead to paranoia, to be found with cannabis use.

'You could do something about your problems whilst others who may have been born with health difficulties couldn't.

'I find it astonishing that somebody who may be self inflicting these problems upon themselves is able to get incapacity benefits at this level.'

She gave Holland 26 weeks in prison, suspended for two years, with 12 months supervision and 80 hours unpaid work. He must pay £100 costs.

Back at home Holland who lives with his mother said: 'I'm not prepared to talk about this.'

But the court heard how he suffered depression and drinking since he was 13 and had been on state handouts since he left school.

He had been arrested after police acting on a tip off raided his home and found a 250 plant cannabis factory.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... z1PZyY3dDq

'Hard-up' Hyndburn cannabis grower gets suspended sentence
‎
Lancashire Telegraph - 18 hours ago
A DRUG user set up a 250-plant cannabis factory at his home because he could not afford to pay dealers, a court heard. Father-of-two Paul Holland, 21, ...

http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/ne ... _sentence/

Sean wrote:...which of course means that the article is completely made-up!

A JUDGE highlighted the crazy way Britain lavishes handouts on drug users after a cannabis smoker who has scrounged £16,000 since leaving school said his habit’s side- effects left him unable to work.

Father-of-two Paul Holland, 21, who has used it since he was 10, claims it makes him so depressed he has to sit at home and pocket £60 a week in disability benefit.

But a judge condemned the payments after hearing how Holland was blatantly cultivating an illegal cannabis farm at his home in Church, near Accrington, Lancs.

Read more: http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/253 ... z1PbMYY7cN

loCAtek wrote:Another tabloid? Lord save us from yellow journalism and gossip rags, masquerading as news.