By ALESHA CAPONE
A FORMER refugee and father of six who was found guilty of cultivating more than 1200 cannabis plants in Brimbank has lost an appeal against his prison sentence.
The Supreme Court of Victoria Court of Appeal recently heard Hoang Lang Nguyen was sentenced to six years and nine months’ imprisonment, with a non-parole period of four years and nine months, during April last year.
In 2012, the County Court found Mr Nguyen guilty on four counts of cultivating a narcotic plant in a commercial quantity, one count of trafficking a drug of dependence and four theft of electricity.
During April 2009, police raided Mr Nguyen’s family home in Kings Park and three leased factories in Imperial Ave and Whitehall Ave in Sunshine North.
At 38 Imperial Ave, police found 129 cannabis plants and 9.5 kilograms of harvested marijuana heads.
At the three other addresses they found more than 1140 cannabis plants growing.
Almost $19,000 worth of electricity was stolen from the grid at the four cultivation locations.
During his original trial last year, the court heard Mr Nguyen came to Australia with his parents, on a boat from Vietnam in 1979. Mr Nguyen’s defence team said their client had operated a Yarraville clothing business for two decades, but after the retail industry suffered a downturn, he founded a plastic recycling venture in 2007.
However, the prosecution said this allegedly acted as a “front” for the cannabis cultivation business.
At the time of Mr Nguyen’s arrest, he and his de facto wife – also facing cultivation charges – had six children aged from nine to 27 years old.
During his recent appeal hearing, Mr Nguyen’s solicitor argued his client’s total sentence and the non-parole period were “manifestly excessive”.
However, three Court of Appeal judges dismissed Mr Nguyen’s appeal, saying they agreed with the original judgement.
