Cameras set up to catch firewood thieves in the rural North-West led to a cannabis-growing Burnie pensioner being busted. Ronald Rex Curtain, of Havenview, was charged with one count of cultivating a controlled plant for sale at Natone, Upper Natone and Burnie between October 2021 and January 2022. The 69-year-old pleaded guilty in the Supreme Court in Burnie on March 24 and was sentenced. Justice Michael Brett heard Parks and Wildlife staff set up two surveillance cameras at Natone, targeting the unlawful harvesting of firewood (known colloquially as wood hooking). The cameras were triggered by movement. The court heard Curtain was detected many times in the area, including going towards and away from a pine plantation. Parks officers became suspicious he was growing cannabis and contacted police. Police identified Curtain through vehicle registration. In January 2022, the court heard, they searched an area and found cannabis plants enclosed by fencing and chicken wire. Police seized 44 plants. They then searched Curtain's home and found and seized more cannabis plants. Curtain arrived home and police interviewed him. He said he had been planning to give some cannabis to a relative and sell the rest for them, and admitted growing cannabis at another bush site. He later helped police find that site. During sentencing, Justice Brett said 106 plants were found in total. The judge said Curtain told police he would have been happy to make $6000-7000 from cannabis sales. The street value, had the plants reached their potential, was estimated at about $150,000. Justice Brett said Curtain did not get to the point of harvesting and selling the cannabis. "It was a very unwise and foolish attempt by you to make money," the judge said. He said he strongly suspected it was a desperate attempt to make money and give Curtain's wife financial security at a time when they would have known Curtain would likely be going to jail because of an unrelated matter. He was subsequently jailed. Justice Brett sentenced Curtain to 12 months' jail for the cannabis offence. The judge suspended the entire term, on condition Curtain commit no offence punishable by jail for three years. Factors he considered in sentencing included Curtain's personal circumstances, his lack of relevant prior convictions, his early guilty plea and cooperation with police. Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: