Andrius Gruodis given concurrent six-year terms on cannabis charges

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Andrius Gruodis was sentenced at Letterkenny Circuit Court to two concurrent six-year prison terms on two separate charges of possession and intent to sell or supply cannabis under the Misuse of Drugs Act.

Gruodis pleaded guilty under the Misuse of Drugs Act. The proceedings were reported on 20 July 2011.

The report said gardaí found 58 cannabis plants with a street value of €23,000 and BZP tablets worth €420 at his rented home in Ballybofey, Donegal. They found equipment used to grow cannabis, and the ESB meter had been bypassed. Gruodis said in interview that he had learned about cannabis cultivation from the internet.

His sister said she believed he was growing the drugs because he owed money to other men. She told the court that three men had visited her late one night and threatened her if her brother did not repay the money he owed.

Judge John O’Hagan described the operation as “a deliberate, intentional and well planned out exercise” and said Gruodis had “a little independent island of his own”. He said Gruodis was going to use his contacts to offload the drugs.

This report covers an earlier stage of the case. Later developments are not reported here.