Financial desperation drove a Barriere woman to make the foolish choice to try to grow marijuana, a judge was told Wednesday.

Judith Helen Moyles, 56, was charged with production of marijuana after Barriere RCMP got a tip from a source about a grow-op in her house.

Police got a warrant and found about 100 plants growing in her basement. Federal Crown prosecutor Anthony Varesi said the plants could have produced about $20,000 of product.

He described the grow op as unsophisticated and in its early stages.

Had she not pleaded guilty so quickly — she was only charged in August — the Crown might have asked for four to six months in jail.

But the nature of the operation and the woman’s age makes a conditional sentence appropriate, Varesi said.

Defence lawyer Jeremy Jensen told the court his client was living a good, productive life until she and her husband split up. A lengthy and heated court battle followed that drained her of her health and $60,000.

Faced with the utter loss of her life’s work and no income, the woman made a bad choice, Jensen said.

“She was entirely desperate and she did what she did,” he said.

Justice Robert Powers imposed a 12-month conditional sentence with six months of house arrest.

She will be allowed out of her house four hours a week to attend to personal affairs, the judge said.

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