A cannabis grower caught with more than 200 plants inside the former County Times office in Welshpool has had his sentence hearing delayed again.

Dino Marku was due to be sentenced at Caernarfon Crown Court on Thursday, February 8, producing the Class B drug after police seized 246 plants from the empty property next door to Greggs bakery on January 11.

The 39-year-old, who speaks limited English, was expected to be sentenced last week after pleading guilty to the criminal offence but it was adjourned after an Albanian interpreter was not booked for the hearing.

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Marku, of no fixed abode, had his hearing delayed again, for a further four weeks, after the judge ordered a pre-sentence report from the probation service.

The court heard that Marku faces his first prison sentence and does not have previous convictions.

Recorder I. Jones told Marku, who appeared in court on a video link from HMP Berwyn: "You are facing a prison sentence, but the court needs as much information as possible to decide the length of sentence and therefore I’m going to order the preparation of a pre-sentence report.”

Recorder Jones adjourned the sentencing hearing until Friday, March 8, and ordered that Marku remains in custody.

'Sophisticated set-up'

The Albanian national was charged after police discovered the “sophisticated” set-up for cannabis cultivating in the empty property which had its electricity supply diverted to grow hundreds of plants.

Dyfed-Powys Police said its officers are investigating whether the ex-County Times building haul was linked to a cannabis farm inside the former HSBC building in Broad Street on January 8.

Police said the plants were seized from the old bank building, which closed as a branch of HSBC in September 2021, and was left in a dangerous condition and Scottish Power had been called to assist.