Farmer admits involvement in massive cannabis factory on his land and money-laundering

Standing in the dock of Craigavon Crown Court, 56-year-old Clive Weir was re-arraigned on three of the four charges against him, all committed between 14 January 2022 and 2 February 2023.

Weir, from the New Road in Hillsborough, confessed to offences of cultivating cannabis, using criminal property and converting criminal property.

The charges outline that Weir used criminal property, “namely funds in the sum of £184,536.66 for the purchase of fuel from Victor Walker Fuels” and also that he converted criminal property by lodging £41,495 into a Bank of Ireland account and by lodging £132,571.50 into a Clear Bank bank account.

Following Weir’s admissions, prosecution counsel Ian Tannahill asked Judge Donna McColgan KC to mark as “left on the books” a second offence of converting criminal property and she so ordered.

Defence KC Michael Chambers revealed that according to Weir, who at one time before he was charged complained to the press about how long the police were taking to investigate the case, “his gain was about £42,000” while the prosecution contend his profit was around £100,000.

“He does not accept the figure of £100,000,” said the senior barrister who conceded the court may need to conduct a Newton hearing.

A Newtown hearing is held when a defendant accepts their guilt but not the full extent of criminality alleged by the PPS so each side has to call evidence and potentially witnesses for a judge to decide where the criminality lies.

Mr Chambers told Judge McColgan if there was to be a Newton hearing, he would be calling “not just the defendant but also his accountant and a number of other witnesses.

Mr Tannahill highlighted however that the ultimate figure of Weir’s criminal proceeds and laundering may not materially affect the sentence as “the headline offence is the cannabis cultivation.”

“Yes absolutely,” the judge declared but she ordered each side to lodge written submissions on the issue.

The charges arise following the discovery of a sophisticated cannabis factory on land belonging to Weir who has close ties to the DUP and Free Presbyterian Church.

Speaking at the time the cannabis factory was uncovered, Detective Inspector Kelly said: “This is a large and sophisticated cannabis farm, which required searches by specialist police teams due to the size and set up.

“It is clearly a well organised operation which bears the hallmarks of an organised criminal gang. The closure of this operation will likely cause massive disruption to the criminals involved.”

Charged alongside Weir in relation to cultivating cannabis are Vietnamese brothers 39-year-old Quy Nguyen and Anh Nguyen (35), also from the New Road in Hillsborough.

The brothers entered guilty pleas to cultivating cannabis at an earlier hearing.

In court today Judge McColgan adjourned the case until Wednesday when she will tell the lawyers whether she feels it necessary to have a Newton hearing.

While she freed Weir on continuing bail, she warned him “that is no indication [of the sentence] as I’m sure you know.”