This article is from page 3 of the 2012-01-24 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 3 JPG
CANNABIS herb valued at € 2,700 was discovered during a Garda search of woods near Newmarketon-Fergus, a court has heard.
The detail emerged at Ennis District Court last week where a 20-year-old man pleaded guilty to having cannabis for sale or supply.
Shane Purtell, with an address at 18 Marian Avenue, Ennis, was arrested by Gardaí after an intelligence-led search at Mooghaun, Newmarketon-Fergus on October 9 (2010). The court heard that the accused had weighing scales and moneybags in his possession.
Insp Dermot O’Connor told the court that the accused was brought to Ennis Garda Station and, during his detention there, he admitted that the cannabis found in the woods was his. Insp O’Connor said the cannabis was valued at € 2,700.
Solicitor Stephen Nicholas said his client had co-operated fully with Gardaí and made a full admission.
He said his client came from a wellknown family in Ennis and never had any involvement in drugs.
Mr Nicholas added, “He fell into drugs due to unemployment. This was his first attempt to go into dealing.” He explained that the incident had served as a wake-up call to his client. He said Purtell had been accepted on a pre-treatment programme Bushypark but had declined the place as he had secured employment through FAS.
He said his client urine analysis would show that his client is drugand alcohol-free. “He was a man of excellent prospects until he got sucked into this spiral,” he added.
Judge Aeneas McCarthy adjourned the matter until March 14 for the preparation of a report by the probation and welfare service.