Judge Apologizes for Sentencing Cannabis Farmer on His 33rd Birthday

A judge apologized to Agim Cjapi, an Albanian man convicted of cannabis production, for sentencing him on his 33rd birthday. "I hope there will be more pleasant birthdays in the future," Recorder Anna Vigars KC told Cjapi at Carlisle Crown Court.

Cjapi was arrested on July 1 when police raided a building in Kirkby Stephen, Cumbria, uncovering 293 cannabis plants. The court heard the operation was a "sophisticated" cannabis factory with lights and irrigation across multiple rooms, with a potential street value of up to £440,000.

Cjapi admitted to his role in producing cannabis. He claimed he was acting as a "gardener" under the instruction of a criminal gang and was "eager to return home" to Albania. He stated he had been in the UK for about a year and working at the property for several months to pay off a debt incurred for his travel to the country.

During mitigation, defense lawyer Andrew Gurney told the court that Cjapi was smuggled into the UK, accrued a significant debt, and faced threats of violence if he did not comply with instructions. Gurney added that Cjapi's passport was retained by his supervisors, that he lived in squalid conditions at the market square property, and that he received no significant remuneration, nor did he have control over those above him in the criminal hierarchy. Cjapi reportedly sent £200 a month back to Albania to support his unwell elderly father.

Recorder Vigars imposed an immediate 20-month prison sentence. She noted that Cjapi would likely serve approximately one-third of the sentence in custody and that arrangements for his deportation would be made early in his sentence. Cjapi's birthday fell on the day of his sentencing, October 18, 2026.