NSW: Sydney doctor escapes jail term over cannabis

AAP General News (Australia)
08-24-2006
NSW: Sydney doctor escapes jail term over cannabis

A Newcastle court has decided a Sydney doctor who grew almost 50 thousand cannabis
plants in the Hunter valley .. won't go to jail.

ANDREW JOHN KATELARIS was convicted on March 8 .. of cultivating a large commercial
quantity of cannabis.

He grew the plants on his property at Salisbury .. near Dungog.

The NSW District Court in Newcastle has been told tests showed the crop had a low THC
content .. making it of no value as a drug.





During sentencing submissions today .. the court's been told KATELARIS' licence as
a medical practitioner in NSW has been revoked for three years .. for taking cannabis
and supplying it to some patients.

Judge RALPH COOLAHAN said he'll hand down a sentence on September 12 .. but he's told
the court KATELARIS won't be imprisoned.

AAP RTV str/cj/tm/bart

KEYWORD: KATELARIS (NEWCASTLE)

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