A BENEFITS claimant who was growing and planning to sell cannabis so he could go on holiday has been jailed for 32 months.

Police found a near-£9,000 skunk cannabis farm when they raided the home of John Cruikshanks, 57, in February, after receiving a tip-off.

Cruikshanks, of Kirk Road, Accrington, who received £168 a fortnight in incapacity benefits, wanted to top up his state handouts and afford a nice holiday, Burnley Crown Court was told.

The defendant had 28 cannabis plants growing in a bedroom, with a watering, heating and lighting system.

The crop was not yet mature, but a forensic scientist estimated the potential yield of the plants would have been 882grams of skunk cannabis, worth £8,820 on the streets if sold in one-gram deals.

Cruikshanks claimed he only intended to sell drugs to people he knew, but a judge said he must know a lot of people to produce that amount of skunk.

The defendant had admitted producing cannabis and possessing the drug with intent to supply.

He will not face a proceeds of crime hearing.

Lee Smith, for Cruikshanks, said: “He accepts this was a commercial operation.

“He accepts it was his sole responsibility and he did not seek to blame anyone else.

“He says he would have been careful not to sell to any strangers, and not to children, and would have sold drugs to his friends and people he knew.

“The defendant is on incapacity benefits and would have sold these drugs for personal gain to supplement that and pay for a holiday.”