A WOMAN who claimed her £40,000 worth of cannabis was for ‘personal use’ has lost her case at court.

Meena Kartara had already admitted one count of producing a controlled drug of class B - cannabis.

The 48-year-old of Dudgeon Drive, Oxford, however claimed that the plants were not being grown on a ‘commercial scale’ and were only for her personal use.

From the witness box at Oxford Crown Court yesterday, Kartara claimed she was ‘not really aware of the scale I was doing this in.’

Determining the issue at the ‘Newton hearing,’ presiding Judge Maria Lamb threw out her argument and said the operation was a ‘commercial venture.’

The court heard yesterday that officers first discovered the sizeable haul of cannabis at her home on April 23 last year.

Two tents were found to be cultivating some 16 plants in each.

The value of the drugs was estimated to be £16,000 wholesale and £40,000 if sold separately on the street.

Drugs expert Paul Duffin gave evidence at the hearing yesterday.

He said that the cannabis yield - which weighed 3.21kg - would ‘absolutely not’ be consistent with personal use.

He said: “If someone was growing cannabis for their own personal use they would certainly not need two tents each capable of producing 16 plants.

“It is far beyond what anyone could say was suitable for personal use.”

Kartara also took to the witness box yesterday to argue her case.

She claimed that she had suffered a bereavement more than a decade ago and developed a cannabis habit.

Kartara said that going out and buying the drugs on the street would lead her to being ‘ripped off’ and end up going to ‘scary places.’

She said: “It’s not nice so I just heard that people grow it and I thought why don’t I grow it.”

She claimed that she borrowed the equipment to set up the operation and that her first effort was a ‘disaster’.

She added: “They just didn’t work, they didn’t grow, they were not ready, I got rid of them.

“I tried it again, did a few more in case [I] messed up.”

Deciding the case Judge Lamb threw out her argument and said: “I am satisfied to the required standard that this amount is incompatible with the amount for personal use.”

She said it was a ‘commercial venture’ and adjourned sentencing while a report is prepared by the National Probation Service.

That hearing will take place on January 17 and she was released on bail in the meantime.

Speaking after the hearing Police Constable Archie Coyne said: “With a street value of £40,000, dirty money passes through the hands of criminals and perpetuates the suffering organised crime causes: violence, exploitation and deprivation.

“We will continue to tackle organised crime head on.”