A mum said she helped her son grow cannabis in their back garden because he was in "trouble" with drug dealers.

Police searched Elaine Torres' home because of the strong smell of cannabis coming from the address in Kirkby.

Officers found an outdoor growing tent and a brick shed containing 35 cannabis plants and cuttings hanging up to dry.

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They arrested Torres, 56, and her 19-year-old son Lee Woods at the home where her young daughter also lives.

The mum-of-three, who admitted cannabis production, said she did it because Woods was threatened over a debt.

But she was spared jail after a judge said her son was very lucky not to have been prosecuted for the offence and reminded Torres of "her job as his mother".

Liverpool Crown Court heard police searched the family's home in Sidney Powell Avenue, Westvale, at around 3pm, on July 28 last year.

Jo Maxwell, prosecuting, said Torres was arrested in the house along with Woods and a man called Carl Opray.

Judge Gary Woodhall confirmed her youngest son Woods was sitting at the back of court and said: "He's the one who it is said got his mum in this mess."

Ms Maxwell said Woods accepted a bag of cannabis found was his, and because he had no previous convictions, he received a caution.

She said Opray also accepted responsibility for a bag of cannabis in the kitchen and was fined after admitting its possession.

Ms Maxwell said police found an "outdoor growing tent" in the garden, adding: "It's a large greenhouse tent in effect."

It contained 32 plants - 15 large and 17 medium sized - some of which were recovered and others bagged for destruction.

However, Ms Maxwell said there wasn't any lights or heating equipment in the "poly tunnel" and a police expert couldn't provide an estimated yield or value because officers had disposed of plants, none of them had female flowering heads, and photos taken didn't help.

Within the brick shed officers found three cannabis plants, one which was the "mother plant", over a metre tall, from which cuttings could be taken.

In the rear of the shed was another growing tent, with insulation, lights and electrical transformers, cannabis stalks and cannabis hung up to dry.

However, this cannabis was mouldy and again no valuation could be provided.

In the house police seized mobile phones, scales and two glass jars containing herbal cannabis, weighing 20.56g in total, valued at up to £295.

They also discovered the electricity meter had been bridged.

When interviewed by police, Torres accepted she lived at the house with her two youngest children.

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Ms Maxwell said: "She said her son Lee Woods was in trouble so she helped him grow the cannabis in her back garden."

Woods gave a largely no comment interview, but did say some of the cannabis in the kitchen was his and Opray was a friend of his mum.

The court heard he also said he was addicted to cannabis and wasn't under threat from anyone.

Before the sentencing hearing, Carmel Wilde, defending, entered a basis of plea on behalf of Torres.

Ms Maxwell said she had spoken to police, who were unaware of any pressure put on Woods or anyone else providing the equipment.

Elaine Torres, 56, leaves court with her son Lee Woods, 19, who she helped grow a cannabis farm in the back garden of their home in Kirkby
Elaine Torres, 56, leaves court with her son Lee Woods, 19, who she helped grow a cannabis farm in the back garden of their home in Kirkby

However, she said officers did say Woods would be a "prime candidate" for an operation like this, as he was of previous good character, and the Crown didn't formally oppose the basis of plea.

The court heard Torres had one previous conviction, for an unrelated matter in 1982 when she was 18, for which she was fined.

Ms Maxwell said the basis of plea raised features of a "lesser role", with Torres performing a limited function, under direction, with "intimidation or pressure".

Judge Woodhall said: "This is difficult. On the basis upon which I have to pass sentence, she is not doing this for her own benefit, she is assisting her son for his benefit."

The judge told Torres he had read comments she made in a pre-sentence report.

He said: "Your son was in trouble, you say, due to a debt. He was being threatened and was forced into growing cannabis, others provided the equipment and you helped your son to set it up, and then you allowed your home to be used for the production of this cannabis."

Judge Woodhall noted police described her son as "a prime candidate for being manipulated in this way".

He said: "I'm sentencing you because you have assisted your son because of problems he was in - no doubt concerned for him.

"Your job though as his mother was to help him to find a better solution for his problems, not to assist him in committing crime to solve his problems."

The judge said Torres had expressed remorse, made admissions in interview, was effectively of good character, had a job as a care worker and was also the primary carer for her daughter, who has health and education issues.

He said she would lose her employment and possibly her home if jailed, while her daughter would have to live with her father.

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Judge Woodhall said she was believed to be a low risk of reoffending and there was an absence of information about the potential yield and value of the cannabis.

He handed her a 12-month community order with 120 hours of unpaid work and told her to pay £350 towards court costs.

The judge said: "Your son is very lucky that he was not the one being prosecuted for what happened here."

Judge Woodhall said the application of sentencing guidelines would have been "very different" in Woods' case.

He added: "Your job as his mother is to make sure he's not out committing crime. You've been given a chance today.

"You need to make sure he understands how lucky he was not to have been prosecuted for what you have been prosecuted for."

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