AN "ENTREPRENEURIAL" Hereford home cook was caught out selling cannabis-laden cakes and bakes after advertising his wares on social media and offering a home delivery service.

Darren Mikey Lewis admitted being concerned in the supply of cannabis when he appeared before magistrates in Hereford.

Prosecutor Mark Hambling said Lewis was in court after police had searched his home with a warrant on July 15.

"Most of the evidence was self-incriminating," Mr Hambling said, telling the court that Lewis had gone to the extent of making promotional materials including videos and labels for the products he was offering for sale, which included cakes and confectionary items containing cannabis bud.

Mr Hambling said the cakes were baked at home and then offered directly to the public, with Lewis also offering a delivery service through a promotional video on Snapchat, which showed him in a Deliveroo jersey on a scooter.

"It is a slightly unusual set of circumstances, but very entrepreneurial," Mr Hambling said.

"It was a commercial enterprise and there were quite a lot of cakes and goods that had been made."

Mr Hambling said Lewis had a leading role in the operation, baking the cakes himself and selling them directly to the public, advertising on Snapchat.

"It was no big secret and a rather stupid thing to do," Mr Hambling said, while Lewis sat with his head in his hands in the courtroom.

The search of his home had turned up cannabis-laden cakes and confectioneries, while cannabis buds were also found, the court was told.

"Good quality cannabis was bought and put into these cakes," Mr Hambling said.

"It was never going to make him a millionaire, and doing what he was doing attracted attention to himself."

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Marilena Di Vitantonio, for Lewis, said the 29-year-old's case was unusual and that, in her submission, there was no evidence that he had been selling on a commercial scale.

"All there is is a Snapchat video sent to friends and family, and he did not employ anyone else," she said.

"He bought the cannabis during lockdown and thought it would be a good idea to cook it and then decided to send it out to friends and family. Clearly it was not a good idea and he was quite blatant."

Miss Di Vitantonio said there was no evidence that Lewis had sent out global messages to a network of drug users and that he had simply thought it would be something to do to pass the time during the coronavirus pandemic.

The case was adjourned for a pre-sentencing report to be carried out and Lewis, of Carrion Grove, Hereford, will appear before Worcester Crown Court for sentencing on September 30.

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