A RUNCORN taxi driver has spoken of his nightmare over being charged with supplying drugs to his terminally ill wife.

Alan Blythe, 52, of Badger Close, faces a possible prison sentence after police discovered that he was growing cannabis to alleviate the multiple sclerosis of his wife, Judith.

Alan, who was bailed by Runcorn magistrates on Friday, told the World: "It's been a nightmare for the whole household.

"Whenever someone knocks at the door now, Judith goes white with fear."

Mother-of-two Judith, 49, was diagnosed as suffering from MS 14 years ago. Alan has been growing cannabis for her to smoke for the past six years.

Alan said: "It was a death sentence because there was no quality of life involved."

In July last year, police raided their home following a tip-off. They battered the door down and spent four hours searching the house for drugs.

A family friend first alerted them to the possible medicinal benefits of the drug after he spotted an article in a national newspaper.

Alan, who does not even drink alcohol, defended Judith's use of cannabis.

He said: "Life in the house is a damn sight better with the drug than it was without it."

Judith suffered severe attacks of dizziness and nausea, which left her both housebound and suicidal.

She had her first attack when she was on her way to work in Runcorn.

MS is an incurable disease and has affected Judith's mobility and sense of balance. She was in constant pain before turning to drugs.

Alan takes up the story: "Judith says it is like having a bucket of water in her head.

"When she turns the water swishes around and makes her fall and want to vomit.

"It's weird but the cannabis just levels it out. I would say that 75 per cent of that feeling has left her. She can cope with the attacks now."

The British Medical Association, which represents thousands of doctors throughout the UK, agreed that certain cannabis derivatives should be legalised for medicinal purposes at its annual meeting in July, the month of Alan's arrest.

A statement obtained from the BMA said: "Opinion polls had shown considerable sympathy among doctors for patients with MS who find that smoking cannabis relieves their symptoms but who are unable to obtain it legally."

Alan intends to plead not guilty to the charge. His legal team is attempting to have the case halted.

If convicted, Alan will lose his taxi driving licence and will be out of a job.

But Alan is unbowed: "While I don't want to break the law, Judith feels that without cannabis her life would be hardly worth living, so I have no choice."

Alan will appear before Warrington Crown Court on February 2.

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