72-year-old caught growing cannabis says arresting Garda 'should be promoted'

A reclusive 72-year-old Englishman who was smoking his cannabis pipe when he was caught growing 63 cannabis plants said yesterday he would recommend the garda who carried out the search be promoted to sergeant.

David Walton said that not in a million years did he think that the drugs had the street value of €50,000 of which gardaí informed him.

Garda John McCarthy went to the home of Walton at Castle Cottage, Skibbereen, Co Cork, on June 12, 2015, and found the plants and some harvested herb. It was all grown by Walton for his own use.