Cannabis farmer fled during raid in Hamilton
A cannabis gardener climbed on to the roof of a house before fleeing into woods during a police raid in Hamilton.
Officers found plants and herbal cannabis worth more than £58,000 in the detached three-bedroom property.
Rezart Hoxhaj, 33, appeared from custody at Hamilton Sheriff Court this week.
He admitted producing cannabis and being concerned in its supply at a house in Arran Gardens, Silvertonhill, on October 2 last year.
The court heard police officers armed with a search warrant arrived at 9am.
Neil Thomson, prosecuting, said: "As they tried to force entry, they became aware of the accused opening a window upstairs and saw him scaling down to the roof of an extension.
"Thereafter he ran towards a wooded area. The police officers gave chase and the accused was arrested a short time later.
"The officers searched the house and saw that most of the rooms were being used for the cultivation of cannabis plants.
"They found 217 plants as well as 7kg of packaged herbal cannabis in vacuum-sealed bags.
"Expert police officers say the total retail value of the drugs could have been £58,200."
Sentence was deferred until later this month. Hoxhaj, an Albanian national, has been in prison since his arrest and he was again remanded in custody.
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