Polish man avoids jail for having cannabis in bedroom wardrobe of his Cork home

The street value of the drugs was €15,500 and there was also €1,050 in cash seized

The court heard that 11 packages of cannabis were found in the wardrobe. File photo: Getty

A Polish man had over €15,000 worth of cannabis stashed in the wardrobe of his bedroom in a house at Wilton in Cork and now he has been given a two-year suspended jail term.

Detective Garda John Sheedy received confidential information in respect of suspected drug-related activity and got a warrant to carry out a search at the home of Grzegorz Lukaska at Elmvale Avenue in Wilton, Cork, at that time. The accused now lives at West Beach in Cobh, Co Cork.

“At 7pm on February 24, 2020, I went to the house at Elm Vale, Wilton, Cork, and identified myself as a member of An Garda Síochána and informed him as to the reason for my presence.

“Eleven packages of drugs were found in the wardrobe. The street value of the drugs was €15,500 and there was also €1,050 in cash.

“I seized these items. I later arrested him and interviewed him in relation to this matter. He stated the cannabis was for his own personal use.

“He has no relevant previous conviction in this country. There is a European arrest warrant for the High Court in respect of a small amount of cannabis in his own country. It relates to six or seven grammes of cannabis for his use,” Det. Garda Sheedy said.

Judge Helen Boyle said: “You had an amount of cannabis and you did have cash in your house which I take to be an aggravating factor. You have not come to attention since.” The judge imposed a two-year sentence but suspended it in its entirety.

The money is to be forfeited to the State.