Firemen called to a fire in a block of flats in Ethelbert Terrace in
Margate discovered more than they bargained for.

The firefighters were going from flat to flat ensuring that no residents were at risk…when they stumbled on TWO separate cannabis factories just yards apart.

One of the flat tenants, Michael Murphy, arrived minutes later but was caught by police trying to escape on a bike.

Prosecutor Deborah Charles told Canterbury Crown Court: “There had been
a fire at Flat 4 in the block in the early hours of the morning of August 6 – not connected to either of the cannabis factories.

“Firemen attended to deal with the fire and then discovered the plants
in Flat 5 and another flat nearby.

Former financial adviser Michael Murphy, 45, now of Hatfield Place,
Margate had been living in Flat 5 and admitted producing 49 plants –
with a street value of up to £25,000.

The court heard that university-educated Murphy had been sleeping in his
kitchen – because he was using the other rooms to grow the plants.

“His bedding and television were in the kitchen. All the plants in the
other rooms were in tents. Some of them were two feet high.”

Murphy, who wasn’t in the flat at the time of the fire, arrived minutes
later and approached a police officer to ask: “Is everything OK?”

Ms Charles added: “He then cycled away, but was caught by police
officers nearby and was arrested.”

Andrew Espley, defending, said: “The two factories were unconnected.”

Judge Simon James jailed Murphy for 16 months, telling him: “You are
clearly an intelligent man and I am therefore not going to insult that
intelligence by giving you a lecture about the effects of drugs upon
society.

“The scale of this operation is so large that you were clearly motivated by financial advantage.”