Cannabis grower gets suspended sentence

SAYING he was “perhaps driven to trying to survive in the magnificent peninsula of Dunmanus Bay”, a judge suspended the sentence of a man who turned to growing cannabis on a massive scale after his equestrian centre went out of business.

Leo Bolger, 45, said through his senior counsel Tom Creed yesterday he knew he was facing a jail sentence but asked the judge to suspend as much of it as possible.

Judge Patrick J Moran said he was prepared give the defendant the benefit of a suspended sentence.