A 26-year-old man who was detected with 33 small cannabis plants growing in his house was before Ballina District Court on Tuesday.
On September 6 2010, gardaí searched the home of Gregory Shiach, 12 Cual Gara, Teeling Street, Ballina, where located in a press were the plants. The defendant was not present when the search was carried out, however he admitted to gardaí that the plants were his.
The unemployed man from England had been given seeds by a friend and then grew the plants. Shiach used cannabis in order to help him get to sleep.
The defendant, who has one previous drug conviction, was convicted and fined €250 by Judge Mary Devins and also sentenced to prison for 28 days which was suspended for 12 months.
