2015-07-13 · Meath
Vietnamese man and woman brought into country to cultivate cannabis have sentences cut on appeal
Mrs Hong Thi Nguyen and Mr Phuc Nguyen Le successfully appealed their prison sentences at the Court of Appeal. Both had previously pleaded guilty to cultivating more than €1 million worth of cannabis at an industrial unit in Kells Business Park, Co Meath, on April 13, 2013. At Trim Circuit Criminal Court, Judge Michael O'Shea had sentenced Mrs Nguyen to 10 years imprisonment with the final four-and-a-half years suspended, and Mr Le to 10 years with the final three years suspended. The appellate panel, led by Mr Justice Alan Mahon, found an error in principle, noting the sentencing judge failed to account for the appellants' limited roles as workers or 'gardeners' who were brought into the country for that purpose. The court heard they had no involvement in the operation's setup, planning, or financing. A new sentence of five years imprisonment, with the final 12 months suspended, was imposed on Mr Le. Mrs Nguyen received a new sentence of three-and-a-half years imprisonment, with the final six months suspended. The court noted Mr Le had a relevant previous conviction in the UK in 2007, while Mrs Nguyen had none. As both had been in custody since their arrest in 2013, the court heard that Mrs Nguyen's new sentence had effectively been served.