Cannabis farm killers sentenced over drug

Sentencing Bao Huang and Zhouli Zhang at Leeds Crown Court yesterday Judge John Potter said in addition to the sophisticated production unit found at Elvington Industrial Estate at York where the murder happened, Huang was involved with another cannabis farm at a house in Bristol and Zhang at one in Troon Road, Doncaster.

That showed a "persistent course of conduct" which would result in the large scale production of cannabis for sale in the UK and the "misery" that would cause.

He said Huang clearly had more than a managerial role, investing significant sums "and no doubt expecting a return for it." Zhang was also more than a gardener or manager, playing a "significant" organisational role and using his skills as an electrician and builder to help construct and maintain the farms at York and Doncaster.

Huang, 44, also an illegal immigrant from China, is serving a minimum of 18 years in jail for the murder of Chen Cai Guan, 38, a fellow cannabis farmer beaten to death at the Elvington unit after a dispute over drug sales.

He was found guilty by a jury on Thursday of conspiracy to produce cannabis and sentenced to seven years in prison to run concurrently to the life sentence.

Zhang, 49, a Chinese national who had leave to stay in the UK, is serving a minimum of 16 years for the murder. He admitted conspiracy to produce cannabis and was given four and a half years to run concurrently.

A previous jury convicted them of murder after hearing Mr Chen's body was found in a Selby canal in March last year and linked back to the cannabis farm.

Judge Potter commended DS Malcolm Poole, DC Martin Hinchliffe and financial investigators Steve Wright and Mike Sankey for their part in

the investigation of the conspiracy.

Paul Williams for Huang said he had left his family behind in China to try and look for a better future. He found himself owing money to the Snakehead triads for his illegal transportation to the UK, initially working in restaurants, and maintained he thought he was investing in the Chinese supermarket.