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Lithuanian man jailed for possessing suitcase full of cannabis has conviction quashed on appeal

Summary

Remigijus Tuma, a 32‑year‑old Lithuanian national living in Dublin, was convicted in 2011 of possessing €180,000 worth of cannabis for sale or supply. He was found guilty by a jury at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court and sentenced to seven years' imprisonment by Judge Yvonne Murphy. In 2015 the Court of Appeal quashed his conviction after hearing that the trial judge had imposed an inappropriate burden of proof, requiring Tuma to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he did not know the contents of the suitcase were cannabis. The appellate judges, including Mr Justice John Edwards, agreed that this was a fundamental injustice and ruled that the appeal must be allowed. A formal judgment will be issued on March 23, 2015. Remigijus Tuma pleaded not guilty.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Lithuanian man jailed for possessing suitcase full of cannabis has conviction quashed on appeal. Charges or matters: possessing €180,000 worth of cannabis for sale or supply at Kilakee Road, Rathfarnham, Dublin 15 on May 2 2008. Procedural stage: appeal. Findings: Found guilty

When:

• May 2 2008 Incident
• June 16, 2011 Hearing Or Sentence
• March 23 Hearing Or Sentence
• 2015-03-03 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Drugs Stage Appeal

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Read the original CNI report