'Nauseating' parish hypocrite jailed for running drug factory

Stephen Crowther, 57, was sentenced to 15 months after police found 123 plants with a street value of nearly 7,000 in a unit he rented opposite his haulage business.

They also found cannabis plants, electrical equipment and a tent used for growing cannabis in his work van, and discovered he was planning to expand his criminal enterprise using other premises nearby.

He had previously been admired as a councillor in the quiet seaside town of Flamborough, East Yorkshire, for his work with youngsters and his crusade against illegal drugs.

But despite conjuring up a catalogue of elaborate lies – involving a fictional character called "Gypsy John" and an equally untrue journey to Monte Carlo – he was forced to resign after admitting his guilt.

Sentencing Crowther at Hull Crown Court yesterday, Judge Jeremy Richardson QC said: "Given your evidence about your anti-drugs stance and how you presented yourself as a pillar of the community as a councillor, you presented a catalogue of lies with a nauseating mixture of hypocrisy. You purported in public to be anti-drugs and yet in private you were involved in this crime. You served the community well and started a youth committee, but you have done them a grave disservice.

"You permitted individuals to use your premises for the manufacturing of drugs and you knew full well what was going on."

Police raided warehouse 1G on an industrial estate in Flamborough on December 14, 2009. The unit was owned by Crowther, who was arrested but claimed he had no idea that more than 100 plants were being grown using dozens of lights and heaters.

More plants and growing equipment were found in his Transit van, along with other incriminating evidence at another of his buildings, a remote former telephone exchange near Market Weighton.

Crowther admitted a charge of being concerned in the production of a Class B controlled drug on the day his trial was due to start last October, but then faced a trial of issue where he had to prove his claims that he had no knowledge of the crime. He claimed he had rented the warehouse out to a traveller named John, was unaware it was being used to grow cannabis, and said he had not seen his work van for two weeks because his colleague had borrowed it to drive to Monte Carlo.

He said: "I'm a leading figure in Flamborough. The last thing I want to do is get involved in drugs. I'm a parish councillor, started a youth committee and was always a role model. I'm not going to start dealing in drugs, I don't believe in it."

He claimed he had discovered the drugs factory the day before the police raid, but had not called officers because he feared "reprisals" from gipsies at the site.

But Judge Richardson QC "comprehensively rejected his account" at the hearing last October.

Crowther finally admitted he knew that others were using his warehouse to grow drugs to probation officers who prepared his pre-sentence report.

In total, 1.22kg of cannabis was found, which officers calculated would eventually have resulted in 348 street deals at 20 each.

Andrew Stranex, defending, said: "What he did was stupid and he must now bear the consequences of that."

Mr Stranex said Crowther's wife, who was in court, had found the case agonising. His business would now fail.