Joey Chong-Nee appears in Orange Local Court after police find cannabis in his yard

Joey Chong-Nee, 46, of Adina Crescent, was charged with possessing the plants after he was warned by police to get rid of them but still had them when the police returned.

According to police, officers were in the backyard of a neighbouring property for an unrelated matter about 8.30pm on December 2, 2021.

While they were there they saw a cannabis plant in a black plastic box in Chong-Nee's backyard.

At 9.15pm they went to his address and Chong-Nee was not home at the time so they spoke with the other resident who gave them access to the yard.

Police found four cannabis plants ranging from five centimetres to 15 centimetres in height. They were all planted in individual pots in the same area of the yard.

The resident said he had no knowledge of what the plants were and accepted them as a gift earlier in the day. However, police returned about 8.45pm the next evening and asked Chong-Nee about the plants.

He said he knew they were cannabis plants and intended to dispose of them at a later date.

He had not watered or cared for them at all.

Chong-Nee was unrepresented when he appeared in court and he said he knew the plants were there but he didn't cultivate them.

"There was no way I was planning on keeping them because they would come up on blood tests for my work," he said.

Magistrate Clare Farnan convicted Chong-Nee and fined him $200 for possession of the plants.

"It was just unfortunate that you didn't get the chance to remove the plants from the property," she said.

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