Whanganui woman who grew cannabis sentenced to supervision and community work

10 cannabis plants and 900g of dried cannabis were found at the property where Ezra Tuapola lived. Photo / File

A police raid unveiled 900g of dried cannabis and 10 plants at the home of a Whanganui woman, Whanganui District Court heard on Tuesday.

Ezra Tuapola pleaded guilty to a charge of cultivating cannabis and was sentenced to supervision and ordered to complete community work by Judge Dugald Matheson.

Police prosecutor Stephen Butler addressed the court.

"On Thursday the 29th of March, 2018 the defendant was found to be growing multiple cannabis plants in the back garden, the defendant also had cannabis leaves and cannabis buds which are smoked.

"The defendant had other items including lights and fertiliser which were located inside the address."

Tuapola told police that she would take responsibility for anything that they found on the property, admitted that she was a user and that the cannabis was for her own personal use.

Tuapola's lawyer Raukawa Simon submitted that her client had no previous convictions.

"Based on that and because she was hugely compliant with police and made full admissions, I'm asking for community work and supervision," Simon said.

"In terms of her personal circumstances sir, she's doing a diploma of business management at UCOL and she has one child."

Judge Matheson agreed with Simon's submission.

"Your history, of which there is none, saves you from going on the wrong track, I now convict you Ezra and sentence you to six months supervision," he said.

"I can't close my eyes to what was going on, you are also to complete 150 hours of community work."