Drug gardener learned trade on TV

A hapless cannabis growhouse operator, who learned to cultivate cannabis by watching the Discovery channel, yesterday escaped jail.

At Ennis Circuit Court, Colm Cafferkey, aged 32, of The Demesne, Roscrea, Co Tipperary, walked free when a judge imposed a suspended three-year jail term after he pleaded guilty to cultivating cannabis at a house at Ballymulcashel, Kilmurray, Sixmilebridge, Co Clare, on August 14, 2012.

In the sentencing hearing yesterday, Sgt Kevin O’Hagan told the court that Mr Cafferkey spent €5,000 to €6,000 on establishing the growhouse from a redundancy lump sum of €23,000 Cafferkey received from US multinational Dell.