AN ORGANISED crime family has been sentenced to more than 10 years for cultivating a large amount of cannabis.
Four men pleaded guilty at Northampton Crown Court on Friday, January 18 to the production of class B drugs.
More than 40 officers worked on Operation Insight which led to the discovery of a large cannabis factory at Shelton Farm in East Haddon alongside a smaller factory in Nether Heyford in September last year.
Officers discovered that the family was also involved in several major crimes, including handling a stolen caravan valued at £9,000, found when one of the farms was raided. It had originally been stolen from Bugbrooke some time between 17 and 18 August, 2012.
William Fury, 47, from Southfield Avenue in Northampton was sentenced to three years and four months in prison.
Twenty-six-year-old William Fury Junior and 32-year-old Joseph Fury, also from Southfield Avenue, were sentenced to three years, two months each.
A fourth man, Daniel Stajanovic, aged 25, from Rosebery Avenue, Northampton, was sentenced to one year and six months.
A fifth man, Clive Lawrence, aged 68, from Shelton Farm, East Haddon, Northampton was also arrested during the investigation.
His farm was being used by the Furys to grow cannabis, which he was unaware of.
When the warrant was executed at his farm house, officers found firearms and ammunition. He was charged with three firearms-related offences and was sentenced to a total of six years in prison suspended for two years and given a three month supervision order.
Assistant Chief Constable Martin Jelley, said: “This was a well organised crime group who set-up a sophisticated cannabis factory which had the capabilities of producing over £1.2 million pounds of cannabis per year.
“This operation has been successful in stopping a significant amount of drugs being supplied onto the streets.
“People who deal in drugs can expect the full force of the law bought down on them. This type of crime will not be tolerated.”
At the time of the original raids by officers, locals were left shocked following the discovery.
Chairman of East Haddon Parish Council Jane Wade said: “I am shocked that something like this is going on in our sleepy little vllage. You just don’t expect it.
“I am also disappointed. There has never been anything like this happening in our village before.”
Villager Mark Goodfellow said: “I have lived here since 2004 and nothing has happened before. In the whole of last year there were only eight crimes in the village.