Men jailed for growing drugs worth £1.1m in ex-pub

9 hours ago

Tony FisherBedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire

Michael Murphy (left), John Miller (centre) and Shane Porter (right) were sentenced to a combined total of 18 years in jail

Bedfordshire Police Mugshots of three men. The man on the left has short brown hair and is wearing a black top. The man in the middle has dark brown hair and beard and has a grey top with a jacket on top. The man on the right has light brown short hair and is wearing a black rain jacket. — Michael Murphy (left), John Miller (centre) and Shane Porter (right) were sentenced to a combined total of 18 years in jail

Three men have pleaded guilty to drug charges after a former pub was used to cultivate cannabis that was estimated to be worth up to £1.1m.

In 2025 Bedfordshire Police discovered 13 cultivation rooms containing more than 1,200 mature cannabis plants at the former Moreteyne Arms opposite Millbrook Station in Bedfordshire.

On 23 September Shane Porter, Micheal Murphy and John Miller were sentenced at Luton Crown Court after they all pleaded guilty to conspiracy to produce cannabis.

The men were sentenced to a combined total of more than 18 years in prison after further searches at addresses in Luton and Dunstable resulted in the seizure of additional cannabis and about £20,000 in cash.

Porter, 46, of Yeovil Road, Luton, was sentenced to a seven years and 10 months.

Murphy, 34, of Tower Road, Luton, received seven years and Miller, 30, of Turners Road North in the town was handed a sentence of four years and one month.

Porter and Miller also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cannabis.

The former Moreteyne Arms on Station Lane in Millbrook was used for the production of cannabis

Google A house, in a state of disrepair, with boarded up windows on the ground floor. Some of the windows are open on the second floor and there is ivy growing up the side. There is graffiti on a wall by the house. The front garden is unkempt with bushes and vegetation growing wild. — The former Moreteyne Arms on Station Lane in Millbrook was used for the production of cannabis

In October 2024 officers stopped a vehicle in Luton after detecting a strong smell of cannabis.

A search uncovered 18 bags of cannabis and a quantity of cash, leading to the arrest of Murphy and Porter, who were later released under investigation while inquiries continued.

Shortly afterwards, Miller was stopped and searched under Section 23 of the Misuse of Drugs Act due to suspected involvement in cannabis cultivation.

Officers subsequently established links between Miller, Murphy and Porter.

Det Sgt Tracey Joyce said: "The harm caused by drugs and organised crime cannot be overstated.

"They blight our communities, fuel anti-social behaviour, contribute to serious violence and knife crime, and exploit some of the most vulnerable people in society."

She added that residents play a vital role by reporting any concerns and what may appear to be a minor issue, such as persistent anti-social behaviour, can often be a sign of wider organised criminality.

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