This article is from page 12 of the 2011-06-07 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 12 JPG
A 29-YEAR-OLD man has received a suspended sentence in connection with the possession of almost € 8,000 worth of cannabis.
Maurice Crotty, with an address at 11 Bridge View, Roslevan, appeared at Ennis District Court on Friday.
Garda Alan Kelly told the court that the accused had been charged after Gardaí recovered a large amount of cannabis, a small amount of amphetamine, € 2340 in cash and a weighing scales. Garda Kelly said the value of the cannabis was € 7945.
He said the man had not come to garda attention since the drugs were found and added that he believed the man “had learned from his error”.
Solicitor for the accused, John Casey, said his client had made a full admission to gardaí and had since completely dissociated himself from drug dealing.
He explained that his client had been given drugs to sell along with drugs he had used himself. Mr Casey said this was not meant to act as an excuse, that it had been his client’s decision to do it, adding, “He had to do what he was told”.
He said the man had played hurling at underage level for Clare, had won numerous sports awards and had recently been named badminton player of the year.
He said his client believed that the discovery of the drugs by Gardaí had been ‘the best thing to happen to him.’
“It’s a serious charge. He knows it’s a serious charge”, he added.
Mr Casey said the man, who was previously a factory worker, had stopped taking drugs and was now on a good path.
Asking that a custodial sentence not be imposed, he said that if his client went to prison, “he would meet the people he has been trying to avoid for the past few months”.
Judge Joseph Mangan imposed a four-month prison, suspended on the condition that the man be of good behaviour for two years and that he consented to a community service order of 150 hours. He ordered the man to appear back before court on July 15.