Man grew cannabis plants in the attic of his Louth home to fund father’s cancer treatment

By Francis Carroll, The Drogheda Independent

A man told Gardaí who found more than €62,000-worth of drugs at his home that he got involved in the trade to pay for his father’s leukemia bills, Dundalk Circuit Court has heard.

Pawel Slezak (38), with an address at the time at The Spires, Termonfeckin, Drogheda, pleaded guilty to cultivation of cannabis plants and to possession of amphetamine for sale or supply at The Spires on March 4, 2023.

"His intention may have been a noble cause but he is not entitled to trade in illegal drugs for the purpose of that noble cause. The ends do not justify the means,” said Judge Dara Hayes as he jailed the married father for two years.

The judge said that it was an aggravating factor that this was going on in the house where the defendant’s three young children lived.

Det Gda Dean Hyland gave evidence that when Gardaí arrived with a search warrant at 1pm on the date in question the door was answered by a babysitter.

Sixty-four mature cannabis plants worth €51,200 were found in the attic and 760g of amphetamine valued €11,400 was hidden behind an air vent in a downstairs toilet. He was storing those drugs for reward.

Mr Slezak was not present but when officers contacted him he came back immediately, arriving at 1.58pm. He was in the process of moving house.

Det Gda Hyland said that he “held his hands up straight away”.

In an interview he admitted growing the plants for some time. He had imported seeds from Europe and was cultivating plants in the attic. This was his third harvest.

He said that his father had gotten cancer. He was using the proceeds to pay for his treatment.

His parents had to sell off a significant amount of land in his native Poland for the same purpose.

Mr Slezak had no previous convictions nor had he come to Garda attention since.

Under cross-examination, Det Gda Hyland said that the defendant’s explanation was accepted.

The court heard that he worked in farming in Poland and in this country. He was also a welder and owned a cleaning business here which ended with the Covid-19 pandemic. He drove lorries until a workplace accident and was now on injury benefit.

Judge Hayes noted that there was “strong mitigation” notwithstanding Pawel Slezak had crossed the custodial sentence threshold.

Concurrent 3-year, nine-month sentences were imposed, the final 21 months suspended for 21 months.