Mother who grew cannabis given six months to repay money

Tina Jean Smith, 34, of Wheeler Road, Ludlow was ordered to pay the money in May, nearly three years after she was arrested for cultivating the Class B drug.

Police unexpectedly found outbuildings full of the plants and confiscated 33 ounces of 'skunk' cannabis when they visited the home of Smith, where she lives with her partner four children, in July 2011.

She was deemed capable of paying back £12,841 under the proceeds of crime act, of an estimated £51,668 made from criminal activity - but to date she has only paid £7,309, Shrewsbury Crown Court heard yesterday.

Lisa Hancox, defending, said Smith was asking for another six months to pay back the money.

She said the original calculations did not take into account that she had paid a large sum of money to her stepson, that had already left her account when the proceedings started, and she could not now get that back.

Ms Hancox said: "She has been literally saving up and putting money into a piggy bank. Any money she can find goes into that.

"She has been selling household items, anything she's collected, china in the house.

"She has been getting funds in any legitimate way she can."

Asked if there was anything left to sell, Smith said "No" and told Judge Robert Mark Eades she would have to pay for the remainder by borrowing from family and friends.

But Judge Eades said: "Six months is deemed a sufficient time to get your assets together.

"If I am going to give her extra time, I need to know how she's going to pay it.

"I'm not prepared to do that on a wishy-washy, airy-fairy premise that she'll borrow money from someone unknown.

"If she can't pay she'll go to prison."

After an adjournment to confer with Smith, Ms Hancox said: "From the benefits she and her partner receive, if everything is cut back to the bare minimum, she would be able to afford £916 per month over a six month period."

Judge Eades agreed to grant a six month extension.

"But this is very much on the basis, she will understand, if she fails again without a reasonable excuse the judge will be very unsympathetic regarding a further extension," he said.

He told Smith: "You're teetering on the brink. These are court orders not some hire-purchase agreement.

"You must pay it back. If you don't, you will go to prison."