Judge apologises to cannabis farmer jailed on his 33rd birthday

A judge apologised to an Albanian cannabis farmer for sentencing him to prison on his 33rd birthday, the Daily Mail reported. Judge remarks offered during the sentencing included a statement that he hoped there would be more pleasant birthdays in the future for the defendant, Agim Cjapi. [1]

According to the Daily Mail, police officers raided a building in Kirkby Stephen, Cumbria on July 1. Cjapi, who was 32 years old at the time of the raid, was inside the property where officers discovered a sophisticated drug farm. The facility included lights and irrigation setups, with plants growing across multiple rooms. [1]

The Daily Mail reported that the discovered cannabis crop was valued at up to 440,000 pounds. After police took Cjapi into custody, he claimed to the authorities that he was merely acting as a gardener for the operation. [1]