A plea was made at Galway District Court not to impose a criminal conviction on a young engineer as this would seriously impact on his travel options for work in the future.
The 28-year-old was given a chance to keep his record clean after he pleaded guilty to possession of ketamine to the value of €300 on March 25, 2025. However, Judge Valerie Corcoran warned him that a record of her striking out the charge on a first offence would be recorded on the Garda Pulse system and if he came before any court again the presiding judge would be made aware of this.
The Court was told the defendant had two previous convictions for road traffic matters but none for drugs.
His defence pleaded that his client was working full-time and had a letter from his employers in support of him. He had co-operated fully with the Gardaí and even volunteered the location of the ketamine to them during the search. The Judge noted that a warrant for the search had been issued to the Gardaí.
The defence pleaded that the young engineer was taking the matter very seriously and was aware of how a conviction would impact on his employment travel options and how it would result in “certain roads being blocked.”
He had gone to his GP and voluntarily taken seven urine analysis tests which were all clear and were available for the Judge to review.
Judge Corcoran asked prosecuting Garda Sgt Clare Heneghan if the defendant had come to Garda attention since his arrest on this charge. She confirmed that he had not.
The Judge said she was taking into consideration his guilty plea, that he had no criminal convictions, was in gainful employment and had taken the time and effort to go to his GP on multiple occasions to undergo urine drug analysis tests.
She stressed that ketamine was a serious drug but as the defendant was “not on the Garda radar” she would give him one, and his only, chance.
If he made a €500 donation to Pieta House, she would strike out the charge.
However, Judge Corcoran warned the defendant that he was not walking away totally free as she wanted the strike out recorded on the Garda Pulse system and if he came before any court in the future this would be brought to the attention of the presiding Judge.
