‘I grew drugs to feed family and pay mortgage’

A father of five who was €10,000 in arrears on his mortgage and struggling to feed his children grew cannabis to raise money to relieve the financial pressure he was under, a judge was told yesterday.

Dundalk Circuit Court heard Richard O’Connor, aged 34, had been paying an interest-only mortgage of €1,400 a month, but this was due to increase to €1,900 a month.

He admitted a single charge of cultivation of cannabis at his home at Elmwood Close, Termon Abbey, Drogheda, on Sept 19, 2011.