Two males had been caught with over €6,000 value of hashish after the motive force of the automotive entered a Letterkenny roundabout within the unsuitable lane.
Ben Neill and Adam McClure got here to Donegal within the automotive by ferry and had been simply ‘driving round’ after they had been caught with the medicine stash.
The pair prevented custodial sentences after they appeared at Letterkenny District Courtroom in reference to the haul.
The eye of Gardai was drawn to a Volkswagen Passat at Pearse Highway, Letterkenny on July 13, 2021.
McClure, the motive force of the automotive, failed a roadside medicine take a look at after Garda Barbara Doherty detected a powerful odor of hashish emanating from the automobile and he was taken to Letterkenny garda station.
Inspector Tony Byrne instructed the court docket that the automotive was searched and 307.6 grams of hashish was positioned. Subsequent evaluation indicated that the medicine had a avenue worth of €6,150.
Inspector Byrne mentioned each males cooperated absolutely on the evening.
Ben Neill, aged 21 and with an tackle at Millbrook Manor, Ballymoney, County Antrim and Adam McClure, aged 21 with an tackle at Mcarthur Avenue, Ballymoney, County Antrim, each tendered responsible pleas.
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) mentioned the matter may very well be handled at District Courtroom stage on the premise of responsible pleas.
Each males had been represented by Mr Ciaran O’Rourke BL, instructed by solicitor Mr Patsy Gallagher.
Mr O’Rourke mentioned Neill has, always, admitted possession of the medicine.
McClure, he mentioned, lives together with his father and works full-time as a welder having just lately accomplished a four-year apprenticeship. He mentioned McClure allowed the medicine to be saved within the automobile and was conscious of what the substance was.
“He is aware of what dangers he faces,” Mr O’Rourke mentioned, including that McClure will now have to search out an alternate method to get to work.
Mr O’Rourke mentioned: “These offences must be put in context. It was a silly act undertaken by two youngsters.”
Mr O’Rourke mentioned the pair took a ferry from Magilligan Level in Derry to Donegal and weren’t in Letterkenny for the aim of dealing medicine.
“This was nothing greater than merely driving round,” Mr O’Rourke mentioned. “The medicine had been positioned within the automotive earlier within the day. The medicine had been coincidental.
“I’ve requested them for a proof and the one one that may be given is that they fell in with a nasty crowd on the time. They’ve turned away from drug use and these actions can solely be defined because the silly actions of youngsters.”
Neill, a sandblaster who lives together with his uncle, has a accomplice for the final three years, the court docket heard. Neill has just lately served a ten-month jail sentence in Northern Eire having been convicted of the possession of medication for the aim of promoting or in any other case supplying the medicine to a different. He was launched for ten months on licence.
Mr O’Rourke mentioned that jail was ‘very exhausting’ on Neill, however had assisted in getting him off medicine.
He requested Decide Ciaran Liddy to think about a non-custodial sentence and tendered an apology on behalf of his purchasers.
Decide Ciaran Liddy mentioned the worth of the medicine meant that the case was on the ‘higher finish’ of the jurisdiction of the District Courtroom.
Decide Liddy instructed Neill that, provided that he was beforehand convicted for the possession of medication for the aim of promoting or supplying, that he ‘actually ought to have identified higher’. A probation report in respect of Neill was described as being ‘very optimistic’.
Decide Liddy mentioned the truth that the medicine had been transported from one other jurisdiction by ferry additionally needed to be factored in. He sentenced Neill to 12 months imprisonment for the possession of medication for the aim of promoting or in any other case supplying the medicine to a different. The sentence was suspended in its entirety for a interval of two years. A cost of possessing a managed drug was marked as taken into consideration by Decide Liddy.
The Decide mentioned McClure was ‘very younger’ on the time of the incident and famous that he was gainfully employed as a welder. He ceded to Mr O’Rourke’s request to just accept an attraction to a cost of possession, a lesser cost than one in all possession for the aim of promoting or in any other case supplying.
McClure was fined €500 for the possession of hashish. For the drug driving cost, McClure was disqualified from driving for one 12 months with the ban to start on December 2.
Decide Liddy directed a destruction order in respect of the medicine.
Males with €6,000 medicine consignment caught after taking unsuitable lane was final modified: November 2nd, 2023 by