A businessman who lost £20,000 when his butchers business collapsed has been jailed for growing cannabis in a bid to get back on his feet.

Marcin Skawina ploughed the life savings of both himself and his sister in to a shop they were planning to open in Paisley.

But Renfrewshire Council would not give them the green light to start the business, leaving them both out of pocket.

And, in a bid to get their finances back on track, Skawina constructed a cannabis farm in the cellar of the store he had planned to use as their butchers shop.

The details emerged when Skawina, 35, appeared in the dock at Paisley Sheriff Court to be sentenced after previously pleading guilty to producing a controlled drug, contrary to Section 4(2)(a) of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.

Procurator fiscal depute John Penman told the court that officers attended a shop unit in Paisley's Causeyside Street in September last year.

The officers could smell cannabis coming from the rear of the property and could hear a fan noise coming from the basement.

They contacted the letting agency who managed the property and gained entry to the shop.

And once inside they found signs saying "The Butchers Shop" - and a sophisticated cannabis farm in the cellar.

Penman, prosecuting, explained: "In the cellar there were two rooms which had been converted for the purposes of cultivating cannabis, one of which was a growing area with 26 plants.

"Also throughout was a number of lines of ducting for a ventilation system, extractor fans, dehumidifiers, fertiliser and growing implements."

Scottish Power were contacted to make sure that the electricity supply powering Skawina's farm was safe and officers found a power bill in his name in the property.

While police searched the shop Skawina arrived with a friend.

He was detained by officers, searched and found keys to the property in his pocket.

And he told the officers: "Those are keys to my shop.

"Why are you here? Are you here about the cannabis downstairs?"

Penman added: "He said the premises had been opened as a butchers shop but had shut down and the ongoing operation was to pay his debt."

The prosecutor added that police experts had given valuations of between £200 and £400 for only 20 of Skawina's 26 plants, meaning his farm could have fetched him between £4,000 and £8,000 on the "illicit drug market."

Defence solicitor Terry Gallanagh said Skawina had turned to drug growing in desperation following the failure of his bid to become a butcher.

The lawyer explained: "He and his sister ploughed in to their business in excess of £20,000 of their life savings.

"He carried out numerous changes to the property and submitted a number of applications to the council to get the proper environmental certification to permit the business to start.

"As that business was about to start he was informed the certificates would not be issued.

"He made a horrendous decision to try and raise quick capital by growing cannabis plants.

"He is not an unintelligent man, which makes the decision all the more incomprehensible."

The certificates were not forthcoming as Skawina and his sister did not have the correct food hygiene certificates and the sink, ventilation system and building itself were not up to scratch.

Mr Gallanagh said Skawina researched what he needed to grow cannabis on the internet and purchased the equipment.

He asked for leniency for Skawina, pointing out that police said the cannabis recovered could have been for one person's personal use, and saying jailing him would leave his partner and children "without a breadwinner and provider."

But Sheriff Tom McCartney ruled there was only one way he could deal with Skawina, and jailed him.

As he caged the first offender for eight months, reduced from nine as he had admitted his guilt, the sheriff told the first offender: "Due to the gravity of this it is my view that there is no alternative to a prison sentence.

"This was a commercial decision by you to produce a controlled drug for financial gain and you converted and equipped two rooms in the cellar of a commercial premises for that purpose."

Skawina bowed his head and stared at the floor as he learned he was being jailed while a woman who was with him, believed to be his partners, put her head in her hands and burst in to tears.

A Renfrewshire Council spokesperson said: "The council has a duty to ensure that all commercial premises conform to the appropriate planning and hygiene regulations.

"This is particularly important in respect of premises which sell food.

"The council enforces these regulations even handedly and appropriately to ensure the public can be confident that the food they buy is safe to eat.

"The council also works with prospective businesses to meet these obligations and provides the relevant guidance and advice where possible.

"However the council cannot be held accountable for an individual's failure to meet standards which are both normal operating practice and a statutory requirement for all food businesses."