A 27-year-old man was sentenced to 18 months in prison after admitting producing cannabis and carrying a knife in public following the discovery of a large cannabis cultivation at a flat in Glasgow.
Doris Hysenlikaj, an Albanian national, pleaded guilty at Glasgow Sheriff Court to a charge of producing cannabis and to having a knife in a public place without reasonable excuse or lawful authority. Police found 201 mature plants at the property in Riddrie on May 12, 2024, with an estimated total value of between £40,200 and £120,600.
Prosecutor Heather Naismith told the court that officers had been at the scene for a separate matter when they smelt a strong odour of cannabis. A trail of leaves resembling cannabis plants led officers to the rear of Hysenlikaj’s flat. The prosecutor said Hysenlikaj ran from the property and was pursued and apprehended by police, who found a black-handled lock-back knife in his pocket.
Following his arrest, officers searched the flat and discovered the cultivation. The plants were described in court as mature, and police estimated their total value to be within the range presented to the court. Hysenlikaj was taken to a police station and appeared from custody the following day, remaining on remand until sentence.
The prosecution facts presented at Glasgow Sheriff Court laid out the sequence of events that led to the discovery: police attendance for an unrelated matter, detection of the cannabis odour, a physical trail of leaves that directed officers to the property, the defendant’s attempt to flee, and the subsequent recovery of the knife and plants.
Court records do not indicate whether Hysenlikaj offered mitigation beyond his guilty pleas. The sentencing concluded with an 18-month custodial term. The case adds to ongoing concerns in Scotland about organised and domestic cannabis cultivation, which police say can pose safety risks to neighbours and emergency services due to modified electrical installations and fire hazards.
No further details about the ownership of the flat or any potential wider investigation were provided in court. Police and court officials declined to release additional information beyond the facts admitted at the plea and the sentence imposed.