A LEADING Dartmoor farmer who diversified from cattle rearing to cannabis growing will not be forced to repay the money he made from the venture.

Former Dartmoor National Park Authority member John Shears from Chagford allowed a cannabis grower to use a shed on his land to grow drugs but was never paid the £3,000 a year rent because it was raided by police.

Mr Shears, who was at one time chairman of the local branch of the National Farmers Union, received a suspended sentence at Exeter Crown Court last year for his part in the scheme.

He was also facing action under the Proceeds of Crime Act until the case was withdrawn by the prosecution this week.

A judge at Exeter Crown Court was told that as a result of financial investigation it had been decided there was no point in trying to seize any assets from either Mr Shears or his co-accused Daniel Perryman.

Nigel Wraith, prosecuting, said: ‘The two defendants were convicted of cannabis cultivation some time ago. They have produced financial statements which have been considered.

‘It is the intention of the prosecution to withdraw the confiscation proceedings in relation to both defendants.’

The decision was rubber-stamped by Recorder Malcolm Galloway who formally ended the Proceeds of Crime Act Proceedings.

The financial investigators dropped the case because there was no reasonable prospect of getting any money from the defendants and evidence suggested Shears had not made any profit.

At the sentencing hearing in June, 2015, Shears, aged 71, of Lower Nattadon Farm, admitted allowing the cultivation of cannabis on his premises on May 5, 2014. Daniel Perryman, aged 28, of Exeter Road, Kingsteignton, admitted production of cannabis.

Shears was jailed for six months, suspended for 12 months and Perryman was jailed for 20 months, suspended for two years.

The judge in that case was told how Shears turned over part of his cattle shed to cannabis growing because he hoped to be paid £3,000 a year rent, which he planned to spend on new cattle grids.

Perryman was caught with 187 plants with a potential yield of almost £50,000 when police raided the farm in 2014.

Shears told police he had been a fool to get involved in a ‘crackpot scheme’.