Man caught with knife weeks after avoiding jail on drugs charges

Knife 'for protection' from people hunting him for unpaid drug debt, Midleton District Court hears

On June 10, Pinto had faced four drug charges in Midleton District Court - sale and supply of cannabis and three charges of possession of cocaine and cannabis. Picture: iStock

A man who had narrowly avoided jail for money laundering, and cocaine and cannabis possession was caught armed with a knife in Cork weeks later and was jailed.

Lirio Pinto, aged 27, of 66 High Field Park, Ballincollig, had avoided jail at Midleton District Court on June 10 when he received five six-month suspended sentences to run concurrently.

Weeks later, he was found carrying a knife, which his solicitor said was “for protection” from people hunting him for an unpaid drug debt.

Judge Alec Gabbett activated that six-month suspended sentence in Midleton District Court on Thursday.

On June 10, Pinto had faced four drug charges in Midleton District Court: Sale and supply of cannabis and three charges of possession of cocaine and cannabis.

He was also charged with money laundering after he was found with over €5,000 in cash, which gardaí said was from the proceeds of crime.

He received six-month suspended sentences on all five charges, to run concurrently. The money was confiscated and donated to a YMCA homeless hostel where Pinto had stayed.

Just six weeks later, on July 20, Pinto was found in Cork with a knife, in breach of section 9.1 of the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act.

He appeared at Midleton District Court on Thursday, where Judge Alec Gabbett noted that having been arrested on a weapons offence just weeks after narrowly avoiding a jail term “does not bode well". 

Pinto’s solicitor, Don Ryan, said his client was carrying a weapon “for protection” due to an outstanding drug debt.

He had had to leave his family home in Ballincollig due to this debt and was living in a homeless hostel.

But his mother had recently cleared the drug debt, the court heard.

“He had been doing well, working in restaurants and the Kingsley Hotel. He had been to Arbour House. He had been doing quite well,” Mr Ryan said. “I’m asking you to take all that into account.” 

Judge Gabbett activated Pinto’s suspended six-month sentence, to run consecutively with other sentences.

He also granted Pinto legal aid.