A man who was caught cultivating cannabis walked free from court today.

Phillip Pledge — who has a history of drug offences — was caught with 49g of skunk cannabis in April last year.

Cathy Olliver, prosecuting at Oxford Crown Court, said Pledge had 22 convictions for 44 offences dating back to 1980, including cultivating, producing and possessing cannabis. She said: “He is a heavy user of cannabis.”

Pledge, 41, of Strawberry Path, Blackbird Leys, admitted one charge of possessing cannabis which put him in breach of a previous suspended sentence.

Claire Fraser, defending, said Pledge had been addicted to cannabis but stopped using the drug last May after finding out his partner was pregnant.”

Judge Terence Maher gave Pledge a one-year supervision order and ordered him to do 80 hours of unpaid work.

He said: “There is good reason to believe you may be moving away from your drug habit.

“I think you have earned your chance.”