Marcus Webster, who crashed van at Blofield carrying up to £142,000 of cannabis, is told to pay back £1

Cannabis plants worth up to �142,000 were found in an abandoned van. (Image: Archant)

Marcus Webster, 42, was acting as a courier bringing 376 mature cannabis plants from Great Yarmouth to Norwich when he crashed the hired VW Crafter van, a confiscation hearing at Norwich Crown Court heard.

The crash caused him to veer off the road and end up in a field off the A47 at Blofield.

Webster of Munnings Road, Norwich, was jailed for 18 months in November last year, after he admitted being concerned in the supply of cannabis.

He is still serving his sentence and today he was back in court for a confiscation hearing.

However, after hearing from prosecutor John Morgans that Webster had no assets, the confiscation amount was set at £1.

Judge Maureen Bacon said although the agreed benefit figure from the cannabis operation was put at £49,700, the confiscation amount was set at £1 as she said there were 'pretty limited' assets. She ordered him to serve seven days in jail in default.

The ruling means that the Crown Prosecution Service could try to claw back more assets from Webster if his circumstances changed in the future.

At his sentencing hearing, the court heard how police discovered the cannabis in the back of the van after attending the crash in January last year.

The court heard that following the accident, Webster locked the van and fled the scene, but was caught after concerned passing motorists, who witnessed the crash, phoned police.

When officers attended they detected a strong smell of cannabis coming from the vehicle.

When they got into the van they found the mature plants, which had an estimated street value of between £106,500 to £142,000.

Webster was arrested after his finger print was found on one of the bags in the van and he had also hired the vehicle in his own name, so was easily traced.

The judge who sentenced him said that he had played a 'significant role' in the operation.