Courts / Tipperary / Report

On-the-run prisoner who cultivated cannabis loses appeal

Summary

Wesley Purse, a 41‑year‑old Welshman, was found cultivating 112 cannabis plants in County Tipperary while he was supposed to be serving a 12‑year sentence in the UK. He pleaded guilty to possession and cultivation of €42,000 worth of cannabis at Rossadrehid on 3 May 2017. The Clonmel Circuit Criminal Court sentenced him to five years' imprisonment on 29 June 2018, a sentence upheld by the Court of Appeal on 22 July 2019. In the appeal hearing, Justice Máire Whelan noted that Purse had initially given a false name to Gardaí and claimed coercion by a gang in Cork, but the claim was undermined by the fact that the name was an alias he used elsewhere. She highlighted that Purse had 92 prior convictions, including 13 drug offences, and that he committed the offence while he was supposed to be in prison in the UK.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: On-the-run prisoner who cultivated cannabis loses appeal. Charges or matters: possession and cultivation of €42,000 worth of cannabis at Rossadrehid on May 3, 2017. Procedural stage: appeal

When:

• May 3, 2017 Incident
• June 29, 2018 Incident
• 2019-07-22 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Drugs Stage Appeal

Related court reports

• Tipperary man admits attempted murder
• Trial date set for woman and teenager accused of murdering Scarlett Faulkner
• Teenage boy pleads guilty to manslaughter
• Irish Rail and council in dispute over signal mast near 'Gothic revival' station
• Six years for man who killed his friend after night of 'excess'
• Careless truck driver who caused death of former Garryowen rugby player fails in sentence appeal

Read the original CNI report