A 52-year-old man has been convicted of six charges at Griffith Local Court after police executed a search warrant on his property looking for illegal drug activities.
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Michael Osyp Kowal from Coleambally, also known as 'Mad Mick', had his property searched in February by police, who were successful in obtaining a search warrant from Griffith Local Court.
During the search they found one cannabis plant growing hydroponically in a bedroom, with heat lamps, transformers, a ventilation system and fertilisers.
More of these items along with others such as reflective paper and ducting were found during the search, but were not being used.
Cannabis seeds were also found in the main bedroom.
A further nine cannabis plants were discovered in Kowal's backyard.
They varied in height and maturity levels, and were being concealed behind some black coloured shade cloth.
Cannabis leaf stashes were located in different places around the house, with one being in a golden tin in the main bedroom, and another small amount in a resealable bag in the lounge room. The total weight of the leaf found was 15.4 grams.
For these he was charged with possessing cannabis leaf, seeds, and drug administration equipment.
Police also laid charges relating to an unfired 12 gauge shot-gun cartridge they found in the bedroom, along with a slingshot.
When Kowal finished work that day, he went to the police station in Coleambally for interview where he made full admissions.
He said the cannabis was for his own personal use. While making admissions for having the slingshot and ammunition, Kowal gave no excuses.
Kowal's legal representative Olivia Harris explained the hydroponic set up was not particularly sophisticated, and it was "at best" a superficial attempt to conceal the plants outside.
While she said he self medicated for depression, anxiety and back pain, he was regularly drug tested as part of his employment and had never had any issues in the 12 years he'd been there.
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In relation to the gun cartridge, Mrs Harris explained it was a keepsake from his father, and he never had any intention to use it.
Magistrate Joy Boulos took Mrs Harris' submissions into account, the early pleas of guilty, the considerable gap in Kowal's criminal history since 2004, and said it was below mid-range in objective seriousness.
He was convicted of all charges, given a 12-month Community Corrections Order and a fine of $500 for the ammunition charge.
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