Innishannon drugs 'honcho' released on bail after 'very difficult' time in jail

The defence barrister said: “His time in prison was very difficult for him and his family." File photo: Dan Linehan
A young man described by the sentencing judge as “the honcho” in a drugs run at Innishannon was released after a very difficult fortnight in jail.
Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin released Robert Sweetnam and reinstated bail pending sentence in September. The judge required three urinalysis tests to be done at the defendant’s own expense.
“We will take it up again on September 24,” Judge Ó Donnabháin said at Cork Circuit Criminal Court.
The sentencing judge said that of those in the car at Innishannon, Robert Sweetnam was “the honcho”.
He had remanded the young man in custody for a fortnight. Defence barrister Jane Holland said: “His time in prison was very difficult for him and his family. He understands how at risk he is.”
Although Sweetnam was caught last July with a small amount of cannabis for his own use he had not come to any further adverse attention since that time.
However, Judge Ó Donnabháin referred back to November 12, 2019, at the garda checkpoint in Inishannon and said: “He was the fella with the gear bag. He was the fella with the deals.
Garda Brian Noonan said officers at Innishannon got a strong smell of cannabis when they stopped a car at a checkpoint and found €6,800 worth of cannabis in a GAA gear bag.
Garda Noonan testified at Cork Circuit Criminal Court in the case against Robert Sweetnam of Valley View, Killominogue, Innishannon, County Cork: “We were conducting a checkpoint at the skew bridge. We stopped a car driven by Robert Sweetnam.
“There was a strong smell of cannabis from the vehicle. He handed over a small deal bag of cannabis. In a further search of the car there was a gear bag with his name on it,” Garda Noonan said.
Ms Hyland BL said: “This all arose out of him taking drugs. All of this is behind him now. There is urinalysis in court to prove that.” Sweetnam pleaded guilty to a charge of having cannabis for sale or supply.