A former police officer and his next door neighbour hid the same secret inside their homes, but were rumbled when PCs happened to walk down their street.
Liutauras Lekavicius and Marius Laurusevicius were strangers to one another, outside of the fact of their adjacent addresses. But a £450,000 drugs farm lay inside the former's property, while the latter attempted to escape out of an upstairs window of his house – which was also being used to grow cannabis – when, by chance, the law came knocking at both of their doors.
Liverpool Crown Court heard today, Thursday, that police were on patrol on Botanic Road in Edge Hill on December 20 last year when they noticed a strong smell of the class B substance. Christopher Taylor, prosecuting, described how the officers then used a thermal imaging camera in order to detect a large amount of heat emanating from neighbouring homes at numbers 45 and 47.
READ MORE: 'Selfish' son stole elderly dad's life savings after he was moved into care home
When Lekavicius answered a knock at his door, number 47, the odour was said to have "become overwhelming". A search subsequently revealed a "large and sophisticated" cannabis farm, complete with equipment such as UV light and extractor fans.
A total of 358 plants were found "in various stages of growth" and "split over several floors". They were estimated to have a potential yield of between 10kg and 30kg, with the drugs worth in the region of £50,120 to £451,080.
Under interview, Lekavicius told detectives that he had separated from his wife and become homeless in his native Lithuania. The 57-year-old claimed that he had then been contacted by a "male known as Oleg", who told him that he "would be able to make a lot of money if he came to Liverpool".
He stated that he believed he would be working in a factory and therefore travelled to the UK, arriving in late September 2023. But Lekavicius agreed to instead work in the cannabis farm, with the "gardener" promising a lump sum of £5,000 once the harvest was completed in addition to payment of £50 per week – as well as being able to live in the property.
At the same time, Laurusevicius was seen attempting to leave number 45 by a rear window but was ordered to return inside by PCs and complied. The 36-year-old then opened the front door to officers, who discovered a "cannabis production across the whole of the address".
This consisted of 147 plants in total, a grow which was also "consistent with commercial supply" and worth "tens of thousands of pounds". Laurusevicius gave no comment under interview, although he later stated in a basis of plea that he had been "promised work in the United Kingdom" but was "not aware that the work would involve criminality".
The fellow Lithuanian admitted that he had "acted as a farmer" and said he "did not set up the cannabis farm himself". He added that he would be paid £50 per week, as well as receiving "board and lodgings" at the address.
When asked of his compatriot during his interview, Lekavicius said that he "did not know male next door, but knew he was growing cannabis". He told the police that he had "left him to himself" and "had no involvement" in the other operation.
Carmel Wilde said on his behalf: "He has made very frank and honest admissions, perhaps more honest than most would have been. He was previously a police officer in Lithuania for four years between 1988 and 1992 after serving in the Soviet Union army for some time.
"He realises he will end up having to serve his sentence in a Lithuanian prison. Given his former role, potentially, he may be treated more harshly by other prisoners.
"He was in a security role, but his downfall came when he became homeless after splitting up with his wife. He slept on the streets at times and in coach stations, and incurred debts he could no longer pay.
"He was promised a better life and work in this country, but when he arrived was told there was no work in the factories. He was promised it would be one harvest, and then he could go back to Lithuania and pay his debts off."
Ms Wilde added of her client's time in custody since his arrest: "He describes himself as walking around like in the film Dumb and Dumber, because he doesn't know what's going on. But he does share a cell with another Lithuanian male.
"He was essentially a gardener, but there was that expectation of financial gain. Whether he would have received that in reality is another question."
Peter White, defending Laurusevicius, meanwhile told the court: "This gentleman did not come to the United Kingdom to be deliberately involved in criminality. He is adamant that he has no previous convictions in his native Lithuania.
"Quite simply, this gentleman wishes to put the inevitable custodial sentence behind him and return to his home nation and attempt to pick up his life. He assists his elderly parents in Lithuania, and has spent some time as a scaffolder in the past.
"Unfortunately, due to a serious leg injury, he can no longer work as a scaffolder and made the decision to come to the UK. He bitterly regrets that decision."
Lekavicius admitted production of cannabis. He was jailed for 20 months.
Laurusevicius pleaded guilty to the same offence. He was imprisoned for 16 months this afternoon.
Sentencing Lekavicius, Judge David Potter said: "Clearly, you had fallen on extremely hard times and, following the separation from your wife, you became homeless. You were therefore tempted to come to the United Kingdom on the grounds that you would be rewarded for working.
"You believed that that work would be legitimate, but on arrival in the UK you were told that you were going to be paid to work growing cannabis. You were promised £5,000 for your participation in this operation, and you were also given lodgings and some money for yourself.
"So it was that you were put to work tending to the plants and the equipment that had been installed by others in, ironically, Botanic Road. So it was that police officers walking along that street were attracted to the smell of cannabis.
"A search of that premises revealed a large scale cannabis production with plants at various stages of growth, clearly indicating that this would be a rolling production of cannabis. Several rooms had been taken over for the production.
"To your very substantial credit, you made full and comprehensive admissions to the police on arrest, which many others like you would not admit to. Clearly, this was growing cannabis for commercial profit.
"This sentence means you will almost certainly be transferred from the United Kingdom to serve the remainder of your sentence in Lithuania. If that does not happen, I am sure you will be deported at the end of your prison sentence."
The judge meanwhile told Laurusevicius: "You were promised work in the United Kingdom, and I accept that you were not aware then that the work would involve you committing criminal offences. But, upon arrival in the UK, you were put to work in a cannabis farm.
"In terms of scale, this was smaller than the farm in the next door property. Nonetheless, it was still capable of producing significant quantities of cannabis on a commercial scale.
"I expect you will be transferred to a Lithuanian prison, where you will see out the remainder of your sentence. If that does not happen, you will be released after one half of this sentence and at that point you can then be expected to be deported to Lithuania."
Don't miss the biggest and breaking stories by signing up to the Echo Daily newsletter here