by Paul Hooper

A 12-year-old girl was arrested when she arrived at a Folkestone school carrying a bag of cannabis.

But when the youngster was questioned where she got the drugs from, she told stunned police officers: "From my dad!"

And when police went to the home of Lee Leizert, 43, in Fairfax Close - they discovered six bags of cannabis (library picture above left) in the family fridge... and a a secret room where he was growing it.

Leizert - a dad-of-three - was given a seven-month jail sentence suspended for two years after he admitted producing class B drugs.

Prosecutor Jim Hardy told Canterbury Crown Court: "On May 11 last year police got a warrant to search Leizert's home.

"It followed his 12-year-old daughter being arrested at school in possession of cannabis. She had advised officers she had taken from the garage and had belonged to her father."

"When officers searched the home they discovered a locked room built into the garage - and could smell cannabis.

"They then found a significant number of cannabis plants - including various items to help grow them, including plant food, " he said.

Officers took away more than 150 plants and cuttings and the bags of herbal cannabis from the fridge.

Leizert said he smoked cannabis to help with the pain caused by an accident which happened in 1994.

Nicholas Jones, defending, said Leizert suffered "life-changing injuries when he was hurt after a bridge collapsed. He started taking cannabis to ease the pain.

He began buying the drug but it got "too expensive" and decided to grow the plant instead.

Mr Jones added: "It is a matter of substantial personal regret that his daughter got involved in this.

"He thought that he had taken the precautions that were necessary to ensure she didn't have access to the cannabis.

"What appears to have happened was that the defendant, who would take a small amount of cannabis with him to work to put into his tea to ease the pain, forgot his cannabis that day.

"And it appears she took that cannabis to school."

The judge, Recorder John Bate-Williams, told Leizert: "You produced this drug in the confines of your own home where you lived with your daughter. She was the one found in possession of cannabis, which you produced.

"You have set your children a very bad example as a parent, giving them the impression that illegal drugs can be produced and can be beneficial."