Wicklow man (55) receives fully suspended sentence after €15,000 cannabis discovery in former home
The Wicklow PeopleA father-of-four walked free after gardaí uncovered cannabis in a property he had recently vacated.
Rory Adamson (55), formerly with an address in Poulshone, Co Wexford, appeared at Wicklow Circuit Criminal Court for sentencing after pleading guilty to one count of trespassing and one count of possession of drugs for the purpose of sale or supply.
Garda Colgan of Bray Garda Station testified that, in 2022, Mr Adamson was removed from a property where he had previously lived. The following day, gardaí returned to the property with Mr Adamson’s nephew to retrieve his personal belongings. While inside, they discovered a bag containing 775 grams of cannabis with a street value of €15,000.
The court heard that when Mr Adamson was arrested and detained, he denied ownership of the drugs but admitted he was aware they were there. He also admitted to moving the bag, and his DNA was later found on it.
Mr Adamson is a father of four and a former business owner whose company collapsed during the Covid pandemic.
Justin McQuade BL, counsel for the defence, told the court that Adamson is “Bray born and bred”. The court heard he is a carpenter and has worked in his father’s company since leaving school.
The court was also informed that Adamson is separated from his partner, who submitted a letter on his behalf. The court heard that he suffers from Bell’s Palsy, a neurological condition that affects the facial nerves.
The court heard he lost his home during Covid and had been homeless, living in a property adjacent to his sister’s house.
Counsel for the defence told the court that €1,000 was available to cover any damage caused to the property.
The court heard that an unknown criminal gang became aware that Adamson was squatting in the property and deposited drugs there. Adamson then moved the drugs around the house. Gda Colgan noted that Adamson is not known to gardaí in Bray.
Judge Patrick Quinn sentenced Adamson to two years imprisonment for the drugs offence but took the trespassing charge into consideration. He suspended the sentence in its entirety and accepted the €1,000 compensation.