Police Mistake Widow's Tomato Plants for Cannabis Factory

[Ms. RedEye]

Police raided a 79-year-old widow's Highland cottage after mistaking her tomato plants for a cannabis factory, it was reported.

The officers burst in with sniffer dogs and took samples of the plants for analysis.

Lulu Matheson, who has lived in the property in Shieldaig for 53 years, said she was shaken up by the encounter.

Mrs Matheson told the Daily Mail: "I got a terrible fright and I couldn't understand what they were doing here because I knew we had nothing more than tomatoes in the window. I don't know what the neighbours must be thinking."

Her 47-year-old son Gus, a former driver, was looking out of the window when he saw police cars stop outside.

He said: "I wondered what on earth was going on. I opened the door and they more or less barged past, saying that I was growing cannabis on the windowsills.

"I started laughing because I knew they were tomato plants but it wasn't so funny when they frisked me and then started tearing the house apart."

Mr Matheson said he was held in the bedroom while officers searched the furniture and under the mattress. He also said that the police impounded the family's pet dogs.

"They even 'arrested' Zac, our black labrador, and Moby, our Jack Russell, putting them in the back of one of the cop cars," Mr Matheson added.

"And I just couldn't believe it when they brought sniffer dogs all the way from Alness, which is about two hours away."

He went on: "Despite leaving with their tails between their legs, the police didn't even apologise."

Mr Matheson, a keen gardener, grows tomatoes in the south-facing bedroom window.

He said: "We always enjoy having a juicy home-grown tomato with our dinner and I've had fine crops this year."

Mr Matheson is now making a formal complaint to Northern Constabulary.

A police spokesman said: "We can confirm that, acting on information, we attended at an address in the Shieldaig area.

"No drugs were found as a result of the search."


News Hawk: MsRedEye: 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: Telegraph.co.uk
Author: Graham Tibbetts
Copyright: 2008 Telegraph Media Group Limited
Contact: Contacts - Telegraph
Website: Police mistake widow's tomato plants for cannabis factory - Telegraph

 

[Keith Lake]

... after mistaking her tomato plants for a cannabis factory, it was reported.

The officers burst in with sniffer dogs and took samples of the plants for analysis.

..the report continued

Unfortunately the officers were unable to leave the premises and are presently still entwined in a briar patch on the property, which they oddly mistook for their squad cars.

Last years budget included funds for training, vision, and IQ tests, but the money was used for bullet proof vests, door rams, guns and flack jackets instead.

 

[Jim Finnel]

..the report continued

unfortunately the officers were unable to leave the premises and are presently still entwined in a briar patch on the property, which they oddly mistook for their squad cars.

Last years budget included funds for training, vision, and iq tests, but the money was used for bullet proof vests, door rams, guns and flack jackets instead.

 

[hood1]

Same thing happened to me drug task force with about 8 folks showed up about 830 one night they found my stash of tomatoes I was growing in the basement. Turns our my sons X who was not happy with us had made an anonyms call and using trailer park tactics used the narcs to cause a problem. Seem like this tactic is becoming more popular! Want to whack your neighbor give them a gun and call the narcs!

Give me liberty or give me death!

 

[darkrail]

A police spokesman said: "We can confirm that, acting on information, we attended at an address in the Shieldaig area."

Two reasons why that sentence is tragically hilarious:

1) It's always funny when people break out the big, fancy words to try to minimize the stupidity of their own actions.

2) Cops don't actually know any big, fancy words, so they do their best by fumbling around with phrases like, "we attended at an address" instead of "we bashed down a door."

Good try, buddy.

 

[Dr. 215]

Its so obvious they messed up that they cant even cover it up well. It just shows how willing the police are to bust out every and any force to enforce an un-enforceable prohibition. I hope those dogs were put to good use. And i hope they are not serious about the cops taking the families dogs. now whats the point of that? Maybe they have to make sure the dog was not growing Cannabis in his stomach! i hear thats all the rage now!

 

[Racefan]

They had to make sure they weren't smoking labradore man.lol

 

[Dr. 215]

They had to make sure they weren't smoking labradore man.lol

HAHAHAHHAHAHA. Dont say that! My labs just growled at you Racefan!

 

[wordsworm]

"They had to make sure they weren't smoking labradore man.lol"

Maybe they figured the lab ate the stash, and they decided to test their feces. They probably saw it on that Cheech & Chong movie.

 

[sdseeber]

..the report continued

Unfortunately the officers were unable to leave the premises and are presently still entwined in a briar patch on the property, which they oddly mistook for their squad cars.

Last years budget included funds for training, vision, and IQ tests, but the money was used for bullet proof vests, door rams, guns and flack jackets instead.

rofl!