Courts / Dublin / Report

Gardai smelled odour of cannabis growhouse on city centre street, court hears

Summary

Sebastian Charzynski, a 30-year-old man from Crumlin, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of cannabis with an estimated value of €77,600 and cultivation of plants at an apartment on October 25, 2014. The case reached the sentence stage before Judge Martin Nolan. Prosecution evidence indicated that gardaí detected the odour of cannabis on Aungier Street, traced it to the Grafton Hall complex, and entered the flat with a warrant. They discovered 45 plants in a tent in the sitting room and 51 mature plants in another room, along with ventilation equipment. Charzynski admitted to the charges. Judge Nolan noted there was no evidence the drugs were prepared for distribution or that the defendant profited from dealing. The judge stated it would be unjust to jail the man on that basis. He sentenced Charzynski to four years in prison, which was suspended in full on strict conditions. The defence, represented by Diarmaid McGuinness SC, submitted medical reports citing a dislocated vertebrae and claimed the defendant grew the cannabis for medical problems following a 2010 road traffic accident. The prosecution accepted that none of the drugs were bagged up and that the defendant was in the process of harvesting older plants.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Gardai smelled odour of cannabis growhouse on city centre street, court hears. Charges or matters: possession of the cannabis, with an estimated value of €77,600 and cultivation of the plants at the apartment on October 25, 2014. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

• October 25, 2014 Incident
• 2015-10-19 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Drugs Road Traffic Stage Sentence

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Read the original CNI report