The cannabis farm in Wickford last year A MAN has been acquitted of producing cannabis after he was found in the same building as 195 plants. Fatmar Shabani wept in the dock as the jury passed a unanimous not guilty verdict on the charge of producing cannabis against him. The 55-year-old of no fixed address had been found in a building on Heron Avenue, Wickford on May 3 last year. Following the discovery of cannabis growing gear, 195 plants worth between £53,000 and £163,000 and living quarters in the building, Mr Shabani was charged with producing cannabis. He denied the charge, claiming that whilst he was living there, he had no involvement in the production of the drugs and couldn t move away due to the UK lockdown being in place because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
A RAMPAGING driver went through red lights at high speed and drove the wrong way on the A127 before fleeing from his car. Russell Burgess has been jailed for more than a year after his nine-mile rampage around Rochford and Southend. The 22-year-old was spotted in a black Ford Fiesta which activated ANPR cameras on September 22 this year. Police located the car at a petrol station near Rochford, at which point Burgess, the driver, sped off and fled from them. At Basildon Crown Court on Wednesday, Judge Ian Graham recounted the events of the police chase which began shortly before 6pm.