Kevin William Nightingale, 52, had started harvesting nine cannabis plants before the raid.

Some of the harvested cannabis had been put in plastic bags in a cupboard.

“It would have lasted for two or three years at least,” he said.

Nightingale claimed he would smoke four, five or six grams of cannabis daily, sometimes more.

He described the plants as being “huge and the largest he has ever seen” with favourable weather and plenty of rain.

His half-brother, Shane Gilbert Emmins, said he had grown cannabis because he didn’t want to buy it.

The main purpose was to supply his partner, Sally Ann Gibson, who had health issues and suffered pain.

Crown prosecutor Andrew Moore said the 17.4 kilograms of cannabis seized by police was an extraordinary amount for two people.

“That’s right,” Emmins conceded.

Mr Moore told Judge Marilyn Harbison the amount of cannabis was way above what any single or two people could use.

Nightingale had almost 100 times the traffickable quantity which is 250 grams while Emmins and Gibson had about 75 times the traffickable amount.