A former Bradford boxing champion, who became addicted to cannabis to ease chronic back pain, was caught growing and harvesting £40,000 of the drug, a Court heard.

George Bailey boxed for England in his heyday as a professional flyweight fighter and was tipped to win the British title.

He was described as “a boxer of heroic proportions” by a judge at Bradford Crown Court who spared him jail for production of cannabis, possessing the drug with intent to supply and having £9,782 of drugs money at his home.

Bailey, 50, was arrested when police raided his home in Bescot Way, Shipley, on February 20 last year.

Drugs squad officers found cannabis plants with a street value of £25,678 in the house and garage, prosecutor Alisha Kaye told the court yesterday.

Bailey was also running another cannabis factory at a house in Prospect Street, Eccleshill, Bradford.

There were cannabis plants in the attic, bedroom and cellar with a value of £16,457.

Officers also seized scales, bags of the drug, phones and dealer books.

Bailey’s partner, Katrina Mann, 24, who is expecting their child in April, pleaded guilty to possession of drugs money as criminal property.

Mitigating, Richard Wright, Bailey’s barrister, said he was a hard-working man who had boxed for his country.

He suffered a serious back injury and had endured 25 years of severe pain. He needed injections and operations and turned to cannabis for medicinal purposes.

Bailey, who coached boxing to youngsters at a community centre, began growing the drug because he could not afford to pay for it.

He was such a successful gardener that he began selling the surplus to five dealers who used to supply him with cannabis.

Mr Wright said: “It was a small-scale but efficient operation to feed his own addiction and make a small amount of money.”

Bailey had a strong relationship with Miss Mann and had given his time to the community.

“There is a very good side to the defendant and there is real merit in him,” Mr Wright said.

Judge Jonathan Durham Hall QC told Bailey: “You should have known better.”

He said he was trusting him not to be so stupid in the future.

Bailey was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment suspended for two years with an intensive alternative to custody order and a 12 week curfew.

Mann was sentenced to a 12-month community order with supervision.