A Suffolk man who was jailed for four years for growing cannabis has walked free from court after a judge decided not to send him straight to prison after police had caught him growing more cannabis plants.

Michael Connor told police he had suffered nightmares after serving his prison sentence and had grown cannabis to help him sleep.

Ipswich Crown Court heard that Connor of Field Lane, Brandon, had been jailed for four years for growing 300 cannabis plants at an industrial unit in Canvey Island, Essex.

Following his release police officers went to Field Road on December 23 last year with a search warrant on the suspicion that cannabis was being grown there and discovered 23 plants at different stages of growth, said Godfried Duah, prosecuting.

Connor made full admissions to police and said he was growing the cannabis plants for his own use to help him sleep.

“He said he had nightmares about the time he spent in Belmarsh prison,” said Mr Duah.

Connor, 41, admitted being concerned in the production of cannabis and producing cannabis and was given a 28-day prison sentence, suspended for 12 months.

He was also ordered to do 100 hours unpaid work in the community.

John Farmer, for Connor, said that his client’s four-year jail sentence had had a significant impact on him.

“He has foolishly been self-medicating with the very thing that got him into trouble in the first place,” said Mr Farmer.

He said although police found 23 plants there was no prospect of them all surviving.