Two Albanian men jailed at Teesside Crown Court over £250,000 'industrial scale' cannabis farm at derelict Hartlepool pub

Police raided the derelict Corner House pub, in Victoria Road, – just yards from Hartlepool Police Station – in October and discovered over 800 plants in 15 separate rooms.

Albanian nationals Juljan Imerri, 32, and Ali Boza, 46, were found on the premises and arrested.

They were each jailed for 18 months at Teesside Crown Court after pleading guilty to production of a class B drug.

Uzma Khan, prosecuting, told the court: “Officers forced entry and conducted a search. A large industrial scale cannabis farm was located on the upper levels covering over 15 rooms.

"There were a large number of plants at various stages of growth.”

In total, there were 816 plants with a street value of between £228,000 and £685,000.

Imerri was found in one of the rooms with plants and Boza was found on a rooftop ledge when police returned several hours later.

Both had around £250 cash on them.

Boza, who came to the UK illegally about two years ago, told police he had been brought to the farm that morning by a man he said was linked to the Mafia and could kill him.

He added his wife was ill and he was £30,000 in debt.

Defence barrister Paul Abrahams said Boza was previously of good character adding: “Given the political situation I suspect he will be sent back to Albania in the near future.”

Martin Scarborough, mitigating for Imerri, said he was entitled to time off his sentence for pleading guilty.

Judge Howard Crowson told the pair, of address unknown: “This was a very large cannabis farm. It’s clear that it was intended to provide a continuous crop.

"Whilst growing that day it would have provided a crop with a value of more than one quarter of a million pounds.”

Judge Crowson said there were signs they were acting under the direction of others, but added: “But you were both inside a very large cannabis farm, growing cannabis on an industrial scale.

"You must have been aware of the scale of the operation and you both hoped for financial reward.”

All the drugs and equipment were ordered to be destroyed.