A cannabis farmer told a court that the shock of a police raid had made him quit the drug.
Nathan Powell had set up equipment to grow his own supplies while living on Pleasant Court, in Radford, Nottingham Magistrates' Court heard yesterday.
It included a small fan and watering equipment but was found by police who got a search warrant and checked the home on August 18.
District Judge Leo Pyle ordered the destruction of the items and told him: "Do not be tempted to re-erect what the police have dismantled.
"What you were doing was completely illegal."
A four-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, was imposed on Powell, 27, who now lives on First Avenue, in Carlton.
Powell admitted producing a quantity of cannabis. He must also do 100 hours of unpaid community work while paying a £180 court charge, £85 prosecution costs and a government surcharge of £80.
Finn Butler, mitigating, said: "Since being in trouble, he has used his time to reflect on the significant effect it has had.
"He is not using cannabis any longer. He is using this as a positive and has tried to turn things around and turn his back on offending."
Powell has a five-year-old child and was earning £350 a week working a night shift until after Christmas.
The court was also told that he had never been in trouble before.
Mr Butler said police accepted the cannabis would have been for Powell's "personal use."
He said probation officers had interviewed Powell and felt he would probably stay out of trouble.
He told the judge: "Not only has the report made it quite clear this is a monumental mistake but he is not likely to re-offend.
"There was no previous grow and this was a one-off incident which, I would submit, really reduces his culpability."
But the judge replied: "People don't buy equipment for a one-off.
"If he had not lost it, the production line would have carried on."
Wayne Wallis, prosecuting, said Powell had played "a significant role" as assessed by government guidelines covering the offence. The starting point was one year in prison, he said.
