A BROKE businessman became so desperate that he grew cannabis plants in his bedroom for a friend.

Matthew Hodgson was made bankrupt after his debts had spiralled out of control.

The 42-year-old ran businesses in Brighton and Eastbourne, but was suffering from mental health and drinking problems when he was asked to stump up £118,000 construction costs as a loan guarantor.

He approached the Insolvency Service, but despite being told he could not be a company director, he remained listed with three companies. He said he did not take action because he believed he would be automatically struck off.

After the bankruptcy, Hodgson, also widely known as a medal-winning dog sled racer, was unemployed for 18 months and racked up debts to his parents.

So he agreed to grow ten cannabis plants in his bedroom for a friend to pay off the debt to his parents.

He appeared at Brighton Magistrates’ Court where he admitted three charges of being an undischarged bankrupt who acted as a company director without permission.

Charlotte Glaser, prosecuting, said Hodgson had been told he could not remain as a company director after being made bankrupt.

She explained that restrictions are designed to stop people from squirrelling away money and assets into legal companies dishonestly.

He had set up his companies well before being made bankrupt, but faced problems as he could not pass on the directorships for the failing companies that had no income and no prospects.

Daniel Frier, defending, said Hodgson’s MBS Property Development business still had assets worth £30,000 in a freehold in Eastbourne in November 2016.

He wanted this money to go to his creditors, not the Crown, so did not resign his director position. It left him “stuck between the devil and the deep blue sea”, Mr Frier said.

Hodgson had contacted the Insolvency Service for advice, but it took the service two months to reply, the court was told.

Mr Frier said: “He was already a director of three companies before he was made bankrupt, they are hangovers from a time when he was not disqualified.

“Initially he thought he would be stopped from being a director automatically. He didn’t realise that is not the case.

“He should have just resigned all three positions, and left any property to the Crown.”

The court was also told that Hodgson was convicted for producing cannabis and possessing a class C drug in January this year.

Mr Frier said: “Mr Hodgson previously had some success, but this wiped him out completely.

“He knows he was drinking too much and he had issues with his mental health. It weighed heavy on him. He owed a lot of money with no mechanism to make any money back to make amends.

“There was no dishonesty, and he was not acting deliberately, he was just trying to preserve money for the creditors.”

Magistrate Barbara Dart ordered him to pay a £785 fine, £78 for a victim surcharge, and court costs of £1,000. He has a new job in financial services with a salary of £60,000 per year.