A 23-year-old Lithuanian man was given a three month prison sentence after pleading guilty in Ballyhaunis District Court this week to possession of cocaine for sale or supply. Liudas Kuksta, Ballinacostello, Kilkelly was found to have two ecstasy tablets valued at €10, 2.735 grams of cocaine valued at €191, and 5.86 grams of methamphetamine valued at €468 along with paraphernalia for the supply of drugs when his residence was searched by gardaí.
Garda Donal Raftery told the court that on May 1 2009, he received confidential information that Kuksta had a quantity of drugs in his possession for sale and he obtained a warrant to search his residence.
At 9pm that evening he carried out the search and found two ecstasy tablets in the en suite bathroom of his bedroom, and seven plastic bags with drugs in them in a lady’s handbag, and another five bags in a wardrobe, and a weighing scales.
Evan O’Dwyer, solicitor for Kuksta, told the court that his client, who has been living in Ireland for three years used the drugs found for his own personal use. Mr O’Dwyer also told the court that Kuksta had done nothing up to now to stop his use, but he is expecting a child with his partner in the near future, who told him that he would have to get his life in order before the child was born.
Judge Mary Devins convicted and fined Kuksta €500 for the possession of cocaine and sentenced him to three months in prison; for the possession of cocaine for sale and supply she convicted and fined him €700 and sentenced him to prison for three months consecutive. She took the possession of the methamphetamine and ecstasy into consideration and fixed recognisance in case of appeal.
