A FELIXSTOWE granddad who grew cannabis in his loft has narrowly escaped jail after supplying the drug to his wife.Peter Reeves grew cannabis at his Cavendish Road home.

A FELIXSTOWE granddad who grew cannabis in his loft has narrowly escaped jail after supplying the drug to his wife.

Peter Reeves grew cannabis at his Cavendish Road home. He also had two nine ounce bars of cannabis resin stashed behind a door panel in his pick-up truck and another 200 grams of cannabis hidden behind a lose house brick.

Ipswich Crown Court heard Reeves, a 56-year-old with seven grandchildren pleaded guilty to possessing the drugs and to supplying it to his wife Margaret. He also admitted producing herbal cannabis in his loft.

Police officers searched Reeves' home on July 26 last year. A small amount of cannabis was fund on the defendant and his wife a court heard.

The rest of the property was searched and in the back garden concealed behind a loose house brick was 200 grams of cannabis cut into small blocks and wrapped in cling film.

In the loft area lamps, plant trays and various other equipment used to cultivate cannabis was seized.

Herbal cannabis was found in one of the trays and a cannabis leaf was discovered in a sink.

In Reeves' pick-up truck two nine-ounce bars weighing 501 grams were found. The total street value of the cannabis was around £3000. Reeves said he had bought it for £900 from a man in a Felixstowe pub.

The court heard that Reeves had an accident at work 15 years ago which left him unable to work and suffering extreme back pain. He said smoking cannabis relieved the pain. He said it also helped with his other medical condition schizophrenia.

Reeves said he had brought the drugs in bulk to save himself money. He added that he gave cannabis to his wife and would have supplied it to friends who were users if they had asked.

Reeves had planned to grow his own cannabis to avoid going to dealers.

Judge Nicholas Beddard said: "I sympathise because of your serious back pain. You have suffered for 15 years and I accept that cannabis may relieve it better than other medication and that the law may change. But it has not as yet. I sentence you on the basis you put forward that there was no commercial motives. But you were in possession of a substantial amount and you were in the process of getting more equipment to grow your own."

Judge Beddard said that due to Reeves' exceptional medical circumstances regarding his mental health he would suspend a six-month jail sentence for two years.

No separate penalty was added for the production of cannabis but Reeves was ordered to pay £125 towards court costs. All the drugs and paraphernalia were seized and destroyed.