Cork man pleads guilty to possession of drugs he was not carrying

Though the cannabis was not found on his person the accused told gardaí it was his and the reason his companion was holding it was that his pockets were wet because he had spilled Lucozade in them

The court heard the defendant was searched and his female companion voluntarily surrendered a clear plastic bag containing cannabis herb and a grinder. File photo

A Cork man has pleaded guilty to the possession of cannabis that was surrendered to gardaí by another individual, the district court has heard.

Court presenter Sergeant Tom Mulcahy told Clonakilty District Court that 29-year-old David Mackey of Kilbolane, Milford, Co. Cork, was spotted by a garda mobile patrol in Clonakilty at 8.10pm on November 29, 2024.

Mackey who was in the company of a female spoke to the gardaí who noticed a strong smell of cannabis while they were talking to him. Mackey was searched and his female companion voluntarily surrendered a clear plastic bag containing cannabis herb and a grinder. 

The cannabis was later tested and valued at €50. Though the cannabis was not found on his person Mackey told gardaí it was his and the reason his companion was holding it was that his pockets were wet because he had spilled Lucozade in them. 

The court was told Mackey had 10 previous convictions, including pubic order and road traffic offences, but none that were drug related.

Defence solicitor Conrad Murphy said all of Mackey’s previous convictions related to a period between March and December 2024. He said his client had not come to garda attention beforehand and had previously worked as a an apprentice mechanic in the UK. 

The court was told Mackey had also worked in a factory in Clonakilty for a year and was in the process of applying for a mechanic’s course. Mr Murphy said Mackey did not smoke cannabis though he made admissions in a caution statement. 

He said Mackey was previously in a relationship with the female who was expecting his child but the relationship had broken down and become “fractious”. Judge John King convicted Mackey and fined him €200, allowing two months to pay the fine.

Funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme