A man and woman are accused of drugs offences after cannabis plants were found growing in several rooms of a property, including a 13-year-old boy’s bedroom.
Jevgenijus Surkus (62) and Kirstina Surke (47), formerly both of Ballyworfy Road at Royal Hillsborough, but now with an address listed as Glencairn Street in Belfast, are charged with cultivating cannabis and dishonestly using electricity on July 21 last year.
They are also charged with child neglect. The particulars of the charge are that they ‘wilfully exposed’ a child ‘in a manner likely to cause him unnecessary suffering or injury to health’.
Both defendants, originally from Lithuania, appeared at Craigavon Magistrates’ Court on Friday. They had he assistance of an interpreter in court.
Jevgenijus Surkus appeared at court via video link from prison and was further remanded in custody. Kirstina Surke is on continuing bail.
The cases were sent to Craigavon Crown Court for arraignment on May 7.
A previous court was told that when police attended a property at Ballyworfy Road, Hillsborough a large amount of cannabis was growing including in a boy’s bedroom where he had been sleeping.
An officer said there were 161 cannabis plants at a number of locations at the property including in the child’s bedroom, living room, sitting room, dining room, a sun room, a workshop and a garage.
There were heat lamps, fans, plastic sheeting and “large tubing”.
