Courts / Dublin / Report
Facebook analyst failed to return from France on drugs charge over 'insect bites'
Summary
A Facebook analyst, Abed Benchenna, aged 25, was sentenced to two years in prison without any suspended portion after failing to return from France for several months. He was found in possession of €7,500 worth of cannabis and had previously been convicted six times, including for obstructing a drug search. Benchenna had been given two opportunities by the court, including a chance to plead guilty early and provide negative urine samples, but he did not engage with probation services or notify authorities of his return from France. He claimed injuries from insect bites and a dislocated shoulder prevented his return, but the judge deemed these excuses insufficient. The court noted his failure to cooperate wasted the court's time and the probation service's resources, and he is now in custody following the bench warrant.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Facebook analyst failed to return from France on drugs charge over 'insect bites'. Charges or matters: one count of possessing cannabis for sale or supply at an address in Tallaght on September 13, 2017. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- September 13, 2017 Incident
- 2020-04-24 Publication
Why: A Facebook analyst caught with €7,500 worth of cannabis failed to return from France for several months because he was injured and suffered complications from insect bites, a court has heard. CNI source report
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: one count of possessing cannabis for sale or supply at an address in Tallaght on September 13, 2017 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: Jailing him for two years, Judge Elma Sheahan said she was not disposed to suspend any part of the sentence, given Benchenna's failure to take advantage of the opportunities given to him by the court. "He was given not one, but two chances," Judge Sheahan said, adding he had wasted the court's time and the time of the already stretched Probation Service.
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