Cannabis farmer jailed in his absence

Hoang Ming Yeung, 37, was said to have played a significant managerial or organisational role in the renting of premises in Leeds, Bradford and Wakefield and the setting up of four cannabis farms.

When police raided a property in the Easterly Road, Leeds, in September 2007 most of its contents had been moved out, but later swoops on the other locations, one in Bradford and two in Wakefield, uncovered large-scale cannabis-growing operations.

Bradford Crown Court heard yesterday that cannabis worth almost £400,000 on the streets could have been produced from the three premises.

Yeung, who ran a successful takeaway business in Raynville Road, Bramley, absconded in January this year after giving evidence to a crown court jury. At the time the court was told that he had gone back to China following the death of his father.

Although Yeung could be extradited back to this country if found, Judge Robert Bartfield decided to go ahead with the sentence hearing in his absence yesterday.

Yeung, who had no previous convictions and had denied being involved in the conspiracy to produce cannabis, was sentenced to five years in jail for that offence with an additional 12 months in custody for breaching his bail.

Although Yeung purchased a return ticket, he failed to come back to the United Kingdom.

Judge Bartfield commended the work of the police officers involved in the case.

The judge said Yeung was no doubt influenced by the financial rewards from his offending and was fully aware of the scale of the operation.

“In my view this case is right at the top of Category 2 and merits a five-year sentence,” said Judge Bartfield.