'Big time drug dealer' blows it | Canterbury News | Local News in Canterbury

A would-be Mr Big of the drugs world is behind bars after authorities were handed an electronic plan of his secret cannabis plot, including photos.

Canterbury University student William Adams, 33, wrote an essay about his cannabis growing, detailing that the crop was hidden in the ceiling of his Richmond flat.

He also wrote about how he planned to make his fortune, starting with selling cannabis.

Police believe he may have intended to sell the drug to other students.

He saved his essay with photos on a computer memory stick, but accidentally dropped the memory stick on campus.

A staff member found it and handed it in to the university authorities.

Staff then opened the files in an attempt to identify the owner so they could return the memory stick.

But when they saw the content, they gave it to the police, who searched Adams' flat and found 20 cannabis plants, cultivation equipment and cannabis ready to be packaged and sold.

Adams, a chemistry student who had also studied horticulture, was on holiday when police raided his house in late January.

He handed himself in to the police when he returned home and found his money-making ambitions had hit a major snag.

Adams appeared in the district court last week where he pleaded guilty to a charge of cultivating cannabis.

He was remanded in custody for sentencing in May.

The police summary of facts outlined that the essay saved to the memory stick was "an extremely accurate and well-worded plan of how this person was going to make his fortune, beginning with the cultivation and sale of cannabis".

"His self-written article goes on to explain in detail that he is putting his horticultural studies to good use and now knows the very best way to grow cannabis quickly and to get optimum sticky buds on his plants."

His article included photographs of his current crop, the secret location and false ceiling in his flat wardrobe up to where his grow was in the roof space.

"He used humour in his article and went on to brag about how well he had hidden everything and that only one other person knew of his crop."

Sergeant Gordi Meyer said the incident was disappointing.

"He introduced cannabis to the learning institution with the possibility of opening up cannabis sale...where young students are trying to better themselves," he said.

"We hope his arrest acts as a deterrent."

The Star understands Adams was expelled from Canterbury University.