Courts / Meath / Report

Polish man claimed he thought growing cannabis plants was legal in Ireland, court hears

Summary

Jaroslaw Lasota, a 43‑year‑old Polish man, was arrested after Gardaí searched his Clonee home and found 700 cannabis plants, dried cannabis, growing equipment and printed instructions. He claimed the plants were for oil and seed production, which he believed were legal because they could be bought online. Lasota pleaded guilty to cultivation and possession for sale or supply on 31 May 2012. He had no prior convictions and had lived in Ireland since 2010. The court estimated the plants' value at nearly €13,000 and seized €4,050 from a safe. Judge Catherine Murphy refused a fully suspended sentence, imposed an 18‑month prison term, suspended the final 18 months, and ordered the destruction of the plants. The case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Polish man claimed he thought growing cannabis plants was legal in Ireland, court hears. Charges or matters: cultivation of cannabis and possession of cannabis for sale or supply on May 31, 2012. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

• May 31, 2012 Incident
• 2015-05-07 Publication

Why: He told them the plants were for the production of oil and seeds, which he said he thought were legal in Ireland because they are freely available to buy online. CNI source report

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Drugs Stage Sentence

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Read the original CNI report