Courts / Dublin / Report
Teen (15) caught cycling around with €40k in drugs in backpack
Summary
A 15‑year‑old boy was stopped on his bike in Dublin city centre with a backpack containing €40,000 worth of cannabis. Gardaí recovered two kilos of the drug and the boy was charged with possessing cannabis for sale or supply. He pleaded guilty and had no prior convictions. The boy explained that he had been given the drugs in exchange for transporting them for his mother, a drug addict, and that he used cannabis to help him sleep. He also said he had been born with neonatal drug addiction. Judge Martin Nolan noted the boy's vulnerable background and decided not to detain him, instead imposing a three‑and‑a‑half‑year detention sentence that was suspended on conditions including two years of probation. The boy's mother was present at the hearing. The court heard that the boy helps his younger sibling with schoolwork and is described by a teacher as well‑behaved but easily led.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Teen (15) caught cycling around with €40k in drugs in backpack. Charges or matters: one count of possessing cannabis for sale or supply at an address in Dublin city centre on October 12, 2017. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- October 12, 2017 Incident
- 2019-11-08 Publication
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: one count of possessing cannabis for sale or supply at an address in Dublin city centre on October 12, 2017 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: He handed down a three-and-a-half year detention sentence but suspended it on a number of conditions, including that the boy remain under the care of the probation service for two years. "I'm not sure how well that will go but I think as a child and a young person, he deserves that chance," the judge said.
Places mentioned
- Dublin
- Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
Topics
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