Courts / Dublin / Report
Sentence for moving cannabis to pay off business debt is upheld
Summary
In a case heard by the Court of Appeal, Jurijs Savcuks, a 39‑year‑old Latvian national, was found guilty of possession of drugs for sale or supply after transporting €19,240 worth of cannabis from Cork to Dublin to repay a business debt. He had pleaded guilty at Cork Circuit Criminal Court. Savcuks' counsel argued that he had no prior convictions, had a good work record, and was acting under significant duress to repay the debt, and that the sentence of five years with a suspended portion was too harsh. The Court of Appeal, presided over by Mr Justice George Birmingham, rejected the appeal, stating that Savcuks was not addicted to drugs and that his decision to involve himself in drug trafficking had consequences. The judge upheld the original sentence, finding no error in the sentencing approach of Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Sentence for moving cannabis to pay off business debt is upheld. Charges or matters: possession of drugs for sale or supply at Kilshanny, Mitchelstown, Co Cork on January 30, 2020. Procedural stage: appeal
When:
- January 30, 2020 Incident
- 2021-03-22 Publication
Case subjects
Appellant
Charges: possession of drugs for sale or supply at Kilshanny, Mitchelstown, Co Cork on January 30, 2020 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: Ms McCarthy asked the court to find that the sentence of six years with the final year suspended was too high and a greater portion should have been suspended. He was, the judge said, "someone who made a decision to get involved in drugs and such decisions have consequences." Mr Justice Birmingham said he saw no error in principle in how Judge Ó Donnabháin approached sentencing and therefore said he would not interfere with the sentence imposed.
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