A RESTAURANT owner has been jailed after he turned to growing cannabis in his bistros to pay off his debts.
Pouyan Monajemi ran two restaurants – Nibbles Bistro, in Long Eaton, and Casanova's, in Arnold, Nottinghamshire.
But, when trade dipped and the restaurants were forced to close, he began using them for a different purpose.
Police raids uncovered more than £15,000 worth of the class B drug growing in the buildings.
Officers searched the properties last June, discovering plants, cropped stems and dried cannabis.
Officers also searched Monajemi's home where "dealers' lists" were found as well as bags of cannabis, Nottingham Crown Court heard. Judge Michael Stokes QC jailed Monajemi for 20 months.
Monajemi, 47, of Croft Avenue, Hucknall, admitted producing cannabis at the restaurants in Coppice Road, Arnold, and Tamworth Road, Long Eaton, and two charges of possessing the drug.
The court heard he had come under pressure from East European criminals, who had lent or given him money in return for using his premises to grow cannabis.
"I accept you owed substantial sums of money to the bank, who were effectively financing your restaurants," said the judge.
"I accept that you then came under financial pressure, which resulted in your involvement with unnamed Eastern Europeans."
James Burke, in mitigation, said: "My client became indebted to people who are involved in criminal enterprise.
"He had two business loans and accounts that were heavily overdrawn. He was clearly struggling."
The unnamed individuals financed Monajemi's businesses.
Mr Burke said his client was "incapable" of identifying them to police.
