Darren Snee's ecstasy charge withdrawn after court ruling

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Darren Snee had his charge of possessing ecstasy for sale or supply withdrawn at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 12 March 2015.

Snee had pleaded guilty to the ecstasy charge on 10 March 2015, hours before the Court of Appeal issued its judgment. He also pleaded guilty to possessing cocaine and cannabis for sale or supply. The three charges concerned possession at his home on 18 November 2013. The proceedings were reported on 12 March 2015.

The Court of Appeal ruled that a range of drugs, including ecstasy, had been unconstitutionally banned by the Government. Emergency legislation subsequently made the drugs illegal again.

On 12 March 2015, prosecution counsel asked Judge Martin Nolan to vacate Snee's guilty plea to the ecstasy charge and withdraw the count. The judge consented. Defence counsel Pieter Le Vert BL had sought Snee's release after hearing about the appeal ruling, but the judge refused that application.

Snee remained remanded in custody on the remaining possession-for-sale-or-supply charges involving cannabis valued at €819 and cocaine valued at €399. Those drugs were unaffected by the ruling. Judge Nolan was due to pass sentence on 27 March 2015.