A Westport man was jailed for two years and two months when he was sentenced in the Greymouth District Court on Monday on multiple drugs charges.
Michael Wayne Davis, 51, previously admitted the charges of cultivation and possession of equipment, and after a jury trial earlier this year he was found guilty of supplying cannabis.
His wife, Vivienne Davis, 53, was also up for sentencing on a charge of permitting her premises to be used for the cultivation of cannabis. She was given three months' community detention, starting yesterday, along with six months' supervision and counselling for substance abuse.
Police searched Davis's property in December 2013 and uncovered more than 1000 cannabis seedlings, mature plants, 2.5kg of the dried drug and $14,000 in cash.
Davis's lawyer Doug Taffs said the offending had "morphed" from simply growing cannabis to supply.
"Initially my client had been supplying the cannabis to his wife, who was self-medicating due to emotional issues which included the death of her son, the murder of a friend in Christchurch and her ill health," Mr Taffs said.
However, he said Davis was not selling the drugs out of "greed" and the circumstances were "peculiar".
The Crown sought the forfeiture of the couple's Westport home, and the cash recovered in the search, under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
Mr Taffs said taking the home would leave the pair in extreme hardship and would be an injustice to Mrs Davis.
Judge David Saunders agreed not to take the house but ordered the $14,000 cash forfeit to the Crown.
Judge Saunders said Davis had a 1999 conviction for possession of cannabis for supply, and on that occasion he received a suspended sentence, but this time he needed to sentence Davis with a deterrent.
"You have been involved with illicit activity and you need to pay the price," the judge said.
Along with the two years and two months for supply, Davis was sentenced to 18 months on both the equipment and cultivation charges, to be served concurrently.
