Courts / Dublin / Report
Man avoids jail after €80k 'weed in the wardrobe' find
Summary
Evan Harborne, 27, of Rathfarnham, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of €79,526 worth of cannabis for sale or supply at his rented home on 6 January 2021. He held the drugs to pay a €650 debt. Garda Stephen Burke secured a warrant, searched the upstairs bedroom, and Harborne cooperated, stating he would find "weed in the wardrobe." He denied selling drugs, claiming he only wanted to clear the debt. Harborne had no prior convictions and had previously been a cocaine addict, now using €50 of cannabis weekly. The prosecution argued he was at the very lower end of a drug network. Judge Elma Sheahan accepted his cooperation, rehabilitation, and a low‑risk probation report. She imposed a headline sentence of four years, then reduced it to a suspended two‑and‑a‑half‑year term, conditional on good behaviour and abstaining from illicit drugs for that period.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Man avoids jail after €80k 'weed in the wardrobe' find. Charges or matters: possession of the drugs, worth an estimated €79,526, for sale or supply at his rented home on January 6, 2021. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- January 6, 2021 Incident
- 2022-12-06 Publication
Why: A man who was holding just under €80,000 of cannabis in order to pay off a €650 drugs debt has been given a suspended sentence. CNI source report
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: possession of the drugs, worth an estimated €79,526, for sale or supply at his rented home on January 6, 2021 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: Judge Sheahan indicated that the case warranted a headline sentence of four years before she took into account what she termed "significant mitigation".
Places mentioned
- Dublin
- Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
Topics
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