Courts / Louth / Report

Grow-house gardener jailed as judge says 'message needs to be sent out'

Summary

Sarunas Lubenskas, 31, of Carlingford Road, Drumcondra, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to one count of cannabis cultivation after Gardaí searched his home on 13 May 2018. The search revealed that all but one room were used to grow cannabis, with an estimated value of €100,000. Lubenskas, a Lithuanian national who had worked casually as a labourer, claimed he was not responsible for the drugs and did not know who ran the operation. He admitted he was intoxicated and aggressive when Gardaí entered. Judge Pauline Codd sentenced him to four years' imprisonment, suspending the final year on strict conditions, and ordered him to leave the State within 28 days of release. The judge said a message must be sent out to deter non‑resident involvement in the drug trade in Ireland.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Grow-house gardener jailed as judge says 'message needs to be sent out'. Charges or matters: one count related to the cultivation of cannabis, following a search of his residence on 13 May, 2018. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

• 13 May Incident
• 2021-06-16 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Drugs Stage Sentence

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Read the original CNI report