Alan Williams was convicted of four charges relating to the possession and cultivation of cannabis  on his Ebor property.

The  49-year-old spent most of his time before the court in visible pain after he repeatedly  refused a delay on his sentencing after his colostomy bag burst.

“I don’t care if I go to jail or not,” Williams said on Monday. 

According to his defence solicitor Joel Eng, Williams suffered from chronic pain, diabetes and pancreatitis, as well as two stokes and a seizure over the past few years. 

He had no criminal convictions and gave evidence to police he had grown the cannabis plants as a last resort and to gain weight.  

“I put on 10 kilos,” Williams said. 

Mr Eng said: “It actually helped his health. 

“We ask for mercy from the court.”  Williams’s Ebor property was searched on the morning of January 15 after a tip-off, police said.

While at the property, police found 2004.8 grams of dried marijuana, as well as 88 cannabis plants in a greenhouse and flower bed. 

Police noted Williams “freely participated in a notebook interview” where he admitted to growing the plants for his own pain relief and to gain weight.

Magistrate Karen Stafford noted Williams’s cooperation with police and evidence the cannabis had been for personal use only. “I know there is a lot of moves to get cannabis administered by doctors … but it is still illegal,” she said.

She placed Williams on a two-year good behaviour bond and ordered the drugs be destroyed.