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08
May
Harrogate man sentenced for growing cannabis and stealing steaks from Lidl
A Harrogate man has been sentenced for a string of offences, including growing cannabis plants and trying to steal steaks from Lidl.
Craig Kilkenny, 35, appeared at Harrogate Magistrates Court today (May 8) when he was sentenced for seven offences: possession of a class C drug; cultivating cannabis; two counts of possession of a class B drug; possession of a class A drug; possession of an offensive weapon in a private place and attempted shop theft.
Prosecutor Louise Berry told the court police went to Kilkenny’s property on April 23 last year as part of a drugs raid.
When they searched the Harrogate property, they found a knuckle-duster and a “small” cannabis grow.
Officers seized the knuckle-duster and the cannabis, as well as "drug-supplying equipment", tramadol, psilocin and codeine sulphate at the defendant’s home.
Kilkenny, who gave the court an address on St Andrew’s Crescent, admitted the offences on October 9 last year.
Ms Berry said the attempted theft offence happened on February 16 this year, when the defendant went to Lidl on Knaresborough Road with another man.
Between them, the men selected 28 packs of steak worth £292 and put them in a bag.
The men tried to leave the store without paying, the court heard, but they were stopped by Lidl staff and the steaks were recovered.
Kilkenny admitted the attempted theft on April 2.
Defendant uses drugs to deal with 'awful' past experiences
Andrew Tinning, defending, told the court Kilkenny was originally charged with possessing a “ring knife”, instead of a knuckle-duster.
The defendant denied this offence and the matter was fixed for trial, but Mr Tinning said the “view was taken that it was in fact a knuckle-duster”.
However, the court heard:
Mr Kilkenny takes issues with that description. He says he bought it to carve various items.
Turning to the homegrown cannabis, Mr Tinning described it as “baby plants that Mr Kilkenny had started to grow”.
He added:
In relation to the attempted theft charge, the defendant would urge of you to view that he was present with another male, and the CCTV shows it was the other male who was taking the items, but Mr Kilkenny was with him.
Mr Tinning also told the court a pre-sentence report prepared ahead of today’s hearing, which was not read aloud, said Kilkenny “broke down” when interviewed by the probation service.
“Questions were asked about his childhood and that’s led to a bit of a reckoning on Mr Kilkenny’s part”, he added.
The magistrates were told:
His use of drugs has been masking things that he didn’t want to address, and this was the first time he was confronted with why he uses drugs.
Kilkenny struggles his mental health and turned to drugs to deal with the “awful things” he has experienced, but does not want to otherwise address.
The defendant was handed a 12-month community order, during which he must complete 20 rehabilitation activity days.
Kilkenny was also ordered to pay a £120 fine, £85 in prosecution costs and a £114 surcharge.
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