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Mechanic who claimed he grew €38k in cannabis for medicinal purposes avoids jail

Summary

Wojciech Kwasny, a 41-year-old mechanic from Swords, Dublin, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to cultivating cannabis at his home and an industrial unit at Mace Pool, Kilsallaghan, Co Dublin, on February 25, 2016. The defendant admitted to the charges, claiming he grew the drugs for medicinal purposes to ease his osteoarthritis. Garda Thomas Doherty testified that officers from the Swords Drug Unit executed a search warrant at the Kilsallaghan unit, where they discovered two rooms in a marquee equipped with foiled heating lamps, cultivation equipment, and dehumidifiers. Inside, they found cannabis plants at mature growth stages and a drying tent containing 1.49kg of the drug, valued at €29,860. Kwasny subsequently directed gardai to his home, where ten sapling plants worth €8,000 were found. Prosecuting counsel Gerardine Small BL presented the evidence, while defending counsel Maria McCormack BL highlighted Kwasny's cooperation, remorse, and twelve-year employment history. Judge Martin Nolan expressed suspicion regarding the large quantity involved but noted Kwasny had no previous convictions. The judge stated it would be unjust to imprison the defendant given his good record. Consequently, the court suspended the sentence for three years.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Mechanic who claimed he grew €38k in cannabis for medicinal purposes avoids jail. Charges or matters: cultivating cannabis at his home and at an industrial unit at Mace Pool, Kilsallaghan, Co Dublin on February 25, 2016. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

• February 25, 2016 Other
• 2017-11-21 Publication

Why: She said Kwasny was "unaware of the illegality" of the crime because he was growing the drugs for medicinal purposes. CNI source report

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Drugs Stage Sentence

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Read the original CNI report