Courts / Dublin / Report
'Young people capable of doing stupid things' judge remarks after hearing of €196k home cannabis delivery
Summary
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 17 January 2024, a 23‑year‑old man named David Mbaya was sentenced to two years and ten months in prison for possessing €189,000 worth of cannabis for sale or supply at his home. The cannabis, weighing 9.4 kg, had been delivered to his Balbriggan address by gardaí after a sniffer dog detected it at Foyne's Logistics, Dublin Airport. Mbaya pleaded guilty on 3 October 2022. Judge Martin Nolan noted that had Mbaya been older he might have faced a longer sentence, but he considered his youth and described him as intelligent and capable of reform. Mbaya had previously been convicted of nine minor road‑traffic offences and was living with his sister, hoping to return to landscaping work and regain contact with his two children. The delivery had a strong smell, and Mbaya signed for it before being arrested. The drugs were analysed by Forensic Science Ireland.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: 'Young people capable of doing stupid things' judge remarks after hearing of €196k home cannabis delivery. Charges or matters: possessing the drugs for sale or supply at his home on October 3, 2022, was sentenced to two years and ten months in prison at a hearing in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court today. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- October 3, 2022 Incident
- 2024-01-17 Publication
Why: Gerard Kennedy BL, defending, submitted that Mbaya had agreed to accept the delivery because he himself had a drug debt of €2,000. Defence account reported by CNI
Case subjects
Convicted Person
Charges: possessing the drugs for sale or supply at his home on October 3, 2022, was sentenced to two years and ten months in prison at a hearing in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court today (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: Mbaya (23), who pleaded guilty to possessing the drugs for sale or supply at his home on October 3, 2022, was sentenced to two years and ten months in prison at a hearing in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court today. Judge Martin Nolan remarked that had Mbaya been older, he would have faced a sentence of about five years, but that he was taking his youth into consideration. "Young people are quite capable of doing stupid things," said Judge Nolan.
Places mentioned
- Dublin
- Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
Topics
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