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Indebted cancer sufferer who began dealing after taking cannabis for illness is jailed
Summary
Lee Nolan, 28, of Beechbrook Lawn, The Donaghies, Dublin 13, was sentenced to three years and nine months in prison, with the final nine months suspended on strict conditions, after pleading guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to drug offences. He admitted to acting as a drug dealer, storing over €80,000 worth of cannabis in his home, and driving a car while intoxicated with drugs and without insurance in the Lucan area on 25 April 2023. Nolan claimed he had been misdiagnosed with Non‑Hodgkin lymphoma and used cannabis as a cheaper treatment, which led to debt and subsequent drug dealing. He was also given a four‑year driving disqualification from the date of his release. The judge noted his medical history and the impact of his offences on society. The case was prosecuted by Pieter Le Vert BL and represented by Gerardine Small SC.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Indebted cancer sufferer who began dealing after taking cannabis for illness is jailed. Charges or matters: having the drug for sale or supply, driving a car while intoxicated with drugs and driving a car with no insurance in the Lucan area on April 25, 2023. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- April 25, 2023 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2025-03-14 Publication
Why: Counsel explained that although Nolan's Wexford childhood had not included any behavioural or academic difficulties, he had suffered the loss of a friend in sad circumstances. CNI source report
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: having the drug for sale or supply, driving a car while intoxicated with drugs and driving a car with no insurance in the Lucan area on April 25, 2023 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: Imposing sentence today, Judge Orla Crowe said Nolan was actively involved in the distribution of drugs, which have a "deleterious" impact on society at large. Judge Crowe noted Nolan had a "fraught medical history" but said his offending had to be marked with a custodial term and handed him a sentence of three years and nine months, with the final nine months suspended on strict conditions.
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