Father of seven gets 10 years for cannabis possession

A father of seven who smoked cannabis to relieve chronic neck pain has been jailed for ten years for transporting €19,000 worth of the drug because he was €100 ‘in debt’ to criminals.

Gabriel Redmond (aged 44), of Brookview Walk, Tallaght, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court at to possession of the drugs for sale or supply on Old Bawn Road on April 6, 2005.

Judge Katherine Delahunt noted that Redmond had made limited admissions to gardai and was attempting to rehabilitate himself but said he did not appear to be acting under duress when intercepted.

She imposed a sentence of 10 years imprisonment and set review date in five years time.

Garda Richard Noonan told prosecuting counsel, Mr Patrick McGrath BL, that when they stopped and searched a car driven by Redmond in Tallaght they found 12 bars of cannabis resin valued at €19,000.

Redmond told gardai that he had picked the drugs up from a man in Kilcullen near Naas and was directed by people to whom he owed a €100 drug debt to bring them to a drop off point some time later that evening.

Garda Noonan said Redmond had one previous conviction and was a father of seven in a long term relationship.

Garda Noonan agreed with defence counsel, Ms Aileen Donnelly SC, that Redmond was unsure of the value of the drugs he was picking up and that gardai were satisfied he was not making money from the enterprise.

Ms Donnelly said Redmond had sustained a neck injury in 1997 and suffered chronic neck pain and stiffness. He had a long-standing addiction to cannabis which relived the pain but was attempting to rehabilitate himself.

She said Redmond had been promised he could keep one of the bars for himself if he completed the drop.

Ms Donnelly said Redmond realised he had made a big mistake which impacted on his family. She asked the court to treat him as leniently as possible taking into account his admissions to gardai and previous good character.