A man who held over €27,000 worth of cannabis herb in order to pay off a debt he had run up from abusing heroin has been remanded on bail pending sentence.
James Butler (33) of Sundale Crescent, Tallaght, now living in Glenshane Close, also in Tallaght, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to having 1.3 Kg of the drug at his home on April 3, 2013. He has 27 previous convictions relating to mainly road traffic and criminal damage offences.
Garda Kevin Boland told Gerardine Small BL, prosecuting, that gardaí forced entry into Butler’s home when no one answered. The drugs were found in two separate sport bags, one in a wardrobe and one in the attic. Two weighing scales and a large amount of individual drug bags were found in a sweet tin.
He told gardaí the drugs had been dropped to his door and he knew what was in the bag but didn’t know the value of them. A subsequent analysis of the drugs confirmed it was cannabis herb with a street value of €27,424.
Butler told gardaí in interview that he had given up heroin, “banged all that on the head”, just before Christmas that year but he owed “a couple of grand” for his addiction.
Gda Boland agreed with Pieter Le Vert BL, defending, that when asked by gardai if it was “worth the risk” to hold the drugs, he replied “obviously not”.
He accepted he has not come to garda attention since his arrest.
Mr Le Vert said his client was now drug free apart from his use of methadone. He asked for the case to be adjourned to allow his client to be assessed by the Probation Service.
Judge Mary Ellen Ring adjourned the case and ordered a probation report to determine if Butler is committed to dealing with his addiction. She adjourned the case until March 6, next.
