Barman who failed to find work found in cannabis factory

A MAN has been jailed after he was caught cropping cannabis plants inside a Stoke-on-Trent property.

- Sentinel Reporter

Amarilinto Mersinllari, originally from Greece, was found with four Albanian accomplices inside a house in Monsal Grove, Birches Head.

Officers swooped on March 1 after neighbours reported a strong smell of cannabis.

Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard Mersinllari carried out the crime due to 'financial difficulties' he suffered after migrating to the UK. The 27-year-old had entered the country legally with the intention to work in bars but he struggled to find employment.

Now Mersinllari, of no fixed address, has been sentenced to 28 months in jail after pleading guilty to the production of a drug of class B (cannabis).