An Auchinleck man was caught growing cannabis at his home after bypassing the electricity meter.

Philip Murdoch confessed to a judge that he planned to sell the drug – but was still told it’s unlikely he’ll face a prison sentence.

The 42-year-old pleaded guilty to two charges during a hearing at Ayr Sheriff Court – one of intentionally damaging the electricity meter at his home in Lambfair Gardens in Auchinleck, and one of producing a controlled drug at the same address on March 20 this year.

The court was told police recovered nine plants following a raid on the property.

Murdoch, who appeared in court without a solicitor, told Sheriff Mhairi MacTaggart that he was growing the drug “for money” and that he knew what he was doing – but insisted that it was a “one-off”.

Sheriff MacTaggart told him: “It’s not a particularly big cultivation. It may have stopped you in your tracks.

“I will defer sentence for background reports. I think it’s safe to say [the sentence] will not be custodial, but it was bad enough before telling me you were planning to sell it on.”

Murdoch will return to court for sentencing at a later date.