A 28-year-old Foxford resident grew cannabis in rented accommodation and let his friends smoke it, at what Judge Mary Devins described as ‘drug parties’.
The defendant, Joe Irvin, Curranard, Foxford, admitted the charge of possession of drugs for the purpose of sale and supply.
Garda Tyrone Tobin told Ballina District Court he searched rental accommodation at Toomore, Foxford, on July 3 last, as a result of confidential information received.
In the course of the search, Irvin, who is originally from Wales, handed over a cardboard box. He admitted it contained cannabis, which was later determined to have a potential street value of €2,134.
Irvin said he bought seeds on the internet and grew the cannabis. When asked by solicitor for Irvin, Brendan Donnelly, if there was any evidence in the house of scales, bags, or notebooks related to drug dealing, Garda Tobin confirmed there was not.
Irvin admitted he sometimes supplied it to friends by letting them smoke ‘spliffs’ with him but he did not charge for it.
Judge Devins asked Irvin why he had people at his house for ‘drug parties’. She asked him if it was to make.
Irvin denied they were drug parties but the judge said a group of people in a house smoking cannabis together could be classified as a drug party.
The judge asked that a probation report be prepared and adjourned the matter to May.
