A pilot who after crashing his plane was found to be growing a crop of cannabis plants failed to turn up at court to discover his fate.

Sidney Clark, 48, had been released on bail, despite opposition from the Crown Prosecution Service, at his last hearing in January.

On that occasion Clark had admitted cultivating cannabis, abstracting electricity and possessing the drug.

But sentence was adjourned after Clark claimed the 400 plants found at his home in Tonbridge Road, Barming, were not for commercial supply.

He was released by Judge Charles Macdonald QC with conditions of residence in Westmead Crescent, Trowbridge, Wiltshire, and daily reporting to police.

Clark, who has previous convictions for drug offences, both in this country and Japan, was expected to return to court on Friday to call evidence to back up his claim.

Prosecutor Jo Cope told the hearing that "snow notwithstanding", it was the Crown's belief that Clark had no intention of attending.

"He has not signed on at the police station for the last few days and is not residing where he should be," she added.

The court also heard from Sandesh Singh, defending, that Clark's solicitors had had "some contact" over the past week but there had been no response to telephone calls on Friday.

Issuing a warrant for Clark's arrest without bail, Judge Macdonald said there was no explanation for his non-attendance "other than perhaps the snow".

He also added, when discussing the lodging of further documents for the court to consider, that it "may well be a long time" before a judge would have to read them.

Clark escaped serious injury after crashing his light aircraft at Farthing Common, near Hythe, in February last year.

Police then went to his Barming home and discovered he was cultivating the plants. Mrs Cope told the court in January that Clark had no apparent legitimate income and had bought a number of items for cash.

These included the light aircraft, for which he paid £23,000 in 2004.

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