Custody extended on cannabis charge

A man caught with thousands of euro worth of cannabis in his car-boot and thousands more worth of the drug in a follow-up search at his home was remanded in custody for a further two months until February 13.

Noel McCarthy, aged 37, of Ballyknock, Whitegate, Co Cork, pleaded guilty to having the drug for sale or supply and cultivating it at his home and he was remanded in custody last month for sentencing yesterday.

Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin said one month is not enough time to consider the sentencing. He remanded McCarthy in custody until February 13, 2018.

Last month, the judge said there could be no guarantee about how the case would be dealt with on the adjourned date.

Garda Mathew O’Mahony testified at Cork Circuit Criminal Court that he approached a car parked at Sunmount, off Winter’s Hill, in Cork city and noticed a strong smell of cannabis coming from the car.

Garda O’Mahony asked the man if he had any cannabis and the man handed over a small amount of cannabis. Asked if there was any more cannabis in the car he said there were two half-kilo bags of cannabis herb in the car-boot.

Following this drugs seizure, a search warrant was obtained for the defendant’s home at Whitegate. Officers found a further three-quarters of a kilo of cannabis herb and eight mature cannabis plants being cultivated at the property.

The drugs found at Sunmount had a street value of €20,000 and the drugs found at Whitegate were worth €15,000.

Brendan Kelly, defending, said the accused is from West Cork originally and moved to East Cork. Mr Kelly said: “He had a long difficult history with drugs.”

Garda O’Mahony said the accused told gardaí he had a serious addiction to drugs and also had a drugs debt and that this was why he became involved in the drug trade.