Wayne Robinson, the caretaker of the historic Drakelow Tunnels in Wolverley, was jailed for 14 months after being found guilty of permitting more than 850 cannabis plants to be grown inside the former nuclear bunker.[1] Robinson, of Marlpool Lane, Kidderminster, was convicted of permitting the production of a Class B drug at Worcester Crown Court following a retrial.[1][2]
Raid and trial
Some 30 West Mercia Police officers raided the tunnels on 27 November 2013 after a tip-off and found a large, sophisticated growing operation with high-powered lamps and timers.[2][3] Initial coverage put the find at more than 400 plants that could have been worth around £650,000, and a 45-year-old man was arrested at an address in Kidderminster on suspicion of money laundering and involvement in producing and supplying drugs.[3] By the trial the count stood at more than 850 plants, a crop valued above £70,000.[1][2]
Robinson, who called himself Sid, denied knowing about the farm, claiming he had rented out that section of the tunnels for £200 a month and had been threatened when he complained.[1][2] He was also sentenced to nine months for possessing ammunition and six months for possessing a shotgun, both without certificates, with all sentences running concurrently, and was cleared of possessing a JCB as criminal property.[1]
His accomplice Jason Whiley, 42, of Thorns Avenue, Brierley Hill, was found guilty of being concerned in the production of a Class B drug and sentenced to two and a half years in prison at Hereford Crown Court in December 2015.[1] Detective Inspector John Cashion, of West Mercia Police, said the setup was clearly commercial and would have cost several thousand pounds in equipment alone.[1]
