Courts / Dublin / Report
Cannabis grow-house rumbled after landowner became suspicious of high bills
Summary
John Kelly, 36, of Cherrywood Villas, Clondalkin, pleaded guilty to cultivating cannabis at Old Farm Yard, Johnstown Kennedy, Rathcoole, Co Dublin, on 26 November 2018. He was remanded in custody pending sentence. Kelly, who has 89 prior convictions mainly for road traffic offences, had been supervising a grow‑house set up in a derelict farmyard. The landowner noticed a rise in electricity bills and flashlights near the buildings, prompting Garda Donal Donoghue to obtain a search warrant. Gardaí found three grow tents containing 140 cannabis plants and saplings. If all were mature females, the potential street value would have been €112,000; the agreed valuation for sentencing purposes was €60,000. Kelly was arrested, interviewed five times with no information emerging, and later entered a guilty plea. He is a legitimate businessman in the horse industry and owns a stud with 35 stables. The case was adjourned to 19 October, with Judge Melanie Greally remanding him in custody.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Cannabis grow-house rumbled after landowner became suspicious of high bills. Charges or matters: cultivation of cannabis at Old Farm Yard, Johnstown Kennedy, Rathcoole, Co Dublin on November 26, 2018. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- November 26, 2018 Adjournment
- October 19 Adjournment
- 2022-05-17 Publication
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: cultivation of cannabis at Old Farm Yard, Johnstown Kennedy, Rathcoole, Co Dublin on November 26, 2018 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: Gda Donoghue said the "agreed valuation" of the plants for the purposes of the sentence hearing was €60,000.; Ms O'Callaghan asked for the case to be adjourned pending the preparation of a probation report.
Places mentioned
Topics
Drugs Road Traffic Stage Sentence
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