One year in jail for five plants

Dante7

This is a shocking sentence. One year in jail for five plants and 80g, all for personal use. No part of the sentence even suspended. Minding his own business and harming nobody. Compare this people who are getting suspended sentences for robberies and violent crimes.

https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/he-told-the-doctor-it-does-him-good-man-caught-growing-cannabis-to-treat-his-diabetes-jailed-981168.html

rob316

Such a backwards law, it'll cost the taxpayer about 100k to lock him up, ridiculous.

igCorcaigh

That is so wrong.
Poor guy.

ygolometsipe

It's very messed up. Look what happened this guy, blinded by an acid attack and they get a caution :eek:

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/crime/culprits-of-acid-attack-on-waterford-teens-will-only-get-juvenile-cautions-dpp-informs-victims-38914210.html

Man 45 grows some weed, goes to jail for a year. FFS.

ygolometsipe

"
Ray Boland, defence barrister, said the accused kept himself to himself and never came to the attention of gardaí for selling cannabis, it was always for his own use. He said the 45-year-old lived alone.

Mr Boland repeated that the use of the cannabis was as a medicine.
The judge said: “The day for posters was last Saturday.” In his judgement he said the accused was very entrenched in his beliefs about the use of drugs.
“He continues on his own way – that is great but it is not legal. I am more or less being asked to give it a say so, which I am not going to do. A custodial sentence is necessary.”



Yeah a real dangerous master mind taken off the streets /s
FFS

igCorcaigh

Custodial sentence.

Does that mean the judge was legally compelled to sentence him?

User94

This is the problem with criminal justice system in Ireland, alcohol is far more detrimental on society that weed. The problem is that people have always associated weed with class -A drugs which as everyone who smokes weed knows is complete bull****. People have seen the heroin and cocaine epidemic in Ireland grow through the last 30 years and seen the devastation its caused so anything associated with drugs most people tend to stay away. Unfortunately the cocaine trade is booming, every night I'm down the street you cant move for the stuff, and the harsh reality is it's just going to get worse.

Your Face

Easy target.

cameramonkey

igCorcaigh wrote: »

Custodial sentence.

Does that mean the judge was legally compelled to sentence him?

Custodial means to be jailed or kept in custody. Mandatory means the judge is compelled to give a sentence of a stated time or longer.

Cork_Langer1

cameramonkey wrote: »

Custodial means to be jailed or kept in custody. Mandatory means the judge is compelled to give a sentence of a stated time or longer.

It's the devil's lettuce, it leads you to grow poppy plants and coca leaves and gives you phycological issues.

It has to stay illegal for the jobs, guards, solicitors,judges publicans, pharmacies, addiction centers.

Hope it's appealed straight away.but the previous for growing and the old 1998 conviction for sale and supply had a bearing on the sentence.

We truly are a backward country, this person removed the criminality from his pasttime and knew exactly what he was smoking.

jam_mac_jam

Do the Gardai not have something better ro do. What a waste of everyone's time

DesperateDan

For me the criminal justice system and health care are the two biggest problems in this country that should be top of all parties agendas.

You can get away with a vicious assault here after 200 convictions and walk away scott free, back to your benefit laden lifestyle safe in the knowledge the next time you get caught the taxman will once again foot any of your bills. Meanwhile we spend a fortune on cases like this and piss the progressive taxes on weed we could be reaping down the toilet. Imagine what that money could do for our nurses.

Serious shakeup needed.

Still waters

The guards are worse to be wasting their time on things like this, he's a soft target and it looks good for the clown that caught him

Fr_Dougal

Growing it for his own use to treat a medical condition. He wasn’t funding criminals with his lifestyle.

Ridiculous.

Murt10

Excuse my naivety, but what in the name of God was that case tried in the Circuit Criminal Court for? I thought that was the court where they tried people for serious crimes or where they pleaded not guilty and wanted a trial by jury.

This is obviously quite a trivial and minor offence. Nobody was hurt. Large amounts of money weren't stolen. Surely this should have been tried in the District Court. He admitted the charge, so the only issue before the court should have been to take mitigating factors into account and decide on the length of the sentence.

Urethral Buttercup

Poor fellah. Judge sounds like a pompous cnut.

igCorcaigh

Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin said: “He is not an addict, he is dedicated. He told the doctor it does him good.”

"Entrenched in his beliefs"

Etc.

They're really looking to lord over people. Such entitlement.

AllForIt

He probably didn't from a 'disadvantaged' background so no excuse - or mercy.

Mysterypunter

Strong with the weak, and weak with the strong, same old story.

GNWoodd

How did this man even come to their attention ? What was he doing that was detrimental to society which should be the test for any prosecution ?
We have too many coppers with f..k all substantial to be doing !

Ghetofarmulous

Poor guy. Terrible laws. For such a liberal and progressive country we really roll back sometimes.

Skylinehead

igCorcaigh wrote: »

Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin said: “He is not an addict, he is dedicated. He told the doctor it does him good.”

"Entrenched in his beliefs"

Etc.

They're really looking to lord over people. Such entitlement.

I'd say the judge is fairly entrenched in his own beliefs if he's sending someone down for a year for that.

Sleeper12

rob316 wrote:

Such a backwards law, it'll cost the taxpayer about 100k to lock him up, ridiculous.

Ah it won't really. They will spend the exact same on running the prison weather he's in it or not. Once you realise that the prison & staff have to be paid for with or without him you will then realise that it actually costs only around 25 euro per week to feed him in prison. There are no extra costs for the prison service just because one particular person is in prison

Allinall

He knew he was breaking the law.

Don’t see a problem.

Ghetofarmulous

Allinall wrote: »

He knew he was breaking the law.

Don’t see a problem.

The problem is with the severity of the law. That’s what’s being discussed. Not the fact he broke the law.

Allinall

Ghetofarmulous wrote: »

The problem is with the severity of the law. That’s what’s being discussed. Not the fact he broke the law.

It if he got 6 months, or a €2,000 fine there would be the same outrage.

tayto lover

Ghetofarmulous wrote: »

The problem is with the severity of the law. That’s what’s being discussed. Not the fact he broke the law.

His problem is that he had previous for supplying.
A year is very severe though. Should have got community service.

Sleeper12

tayto lover wrote:

His problem is that he had previous for supplying. A year is very severe though. Should have got community service.

If it was just for personal use no one would have ratted him out. Gardai would never have known. They didn't get a search warrant on a whim.

A year is a lot but he gets 25 percent off. This leaves 9 months at the very most.

GooglePlus

It's mad that you can go to the likes of Spain and legally smoke this but here is this poor fecker with a year if his life down the drain, along with future prospects.

All because of a plant.

CageWager

Big pharma can’t be having people growing their own medicine.

satguy

Judge should be sacked.

AllForIt

How do you get caught if your growing it for your own purposes?

Or maybe someone grassed on him.

JP Liz V1

I would have thought all or some suspended at least

Mine while a fella assaults a lady in a hospital ward and gets suspended

Muppet Man

Prison service will probably release him fairly quickly.

Cork_Langer1

tayto lover wrote: »

His problem is that he had previous for supplying.
A year is very severe though. Should have got community service.

Already received community service for a previous offence

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/man-claims-cannabis-grown-to-help-treat-his-diabetic-condition-1.4170407?mode=amp

"He said Ryan had two previous convictions for cultivating cannabis as well as four convictions for possessing cannabis. He had two convictions for possessing cannabis for sale or supply but these dated from 1998."

"He has previous convictions for similar behaviour and community service has not led him to change his ways"

Electric usage if HPS and a guard who wanted to climb to detective.

Personal use of any illegal drug should be a health matter.

bodhrandude

A crazy sentence, all the other offenders people have mentioned on the thread are usually underage to be properly tried unfortunately this guy is an adult. Crazy laws.

jimmycrackcorm

He should count his lucky stars he wasn't importing garlic.

One eyed Jack

Dante7 wrote: »

This is a shocking sentence. One year in jail for five plants and 80g, all for personal use. No part of the sentence even suspended. Minding his own business and harming nobody. Compare this people who are getting suspended sentences for robberies and violent crimes.

Initially reading the opening post I thought it was a bit odd alright for a first time offence, but then I read the article -

The accused had four convictions for having drugs for his own use, one for cultivating cannabis and two historical convictions dating back to 1998 for having drugs for supply.

More recently he got community service as a penalty for offences including cultivation.


Anything more than the Judge dismissing the case was always going to be too much for some people.

Bill 2.0

You can dress this up as some lad having a few plants for his personal use but it is still illegal.


People don't get to decide what laws should be enforced based on how they feel about them.


He knew the rules, he broke them and now he is going to face the consequences. That's how a society should work.

Notdeco

Bill 2.0 wrote: »

You can dress this up as some lad having a few plants for his personal use but it is still illegal.


People don't get to decide what laws should be enforced based on how they feel about them.


He knew the rules, he broke them and now he is going to face the consequences. That's how a society should work.

Yep you are dead right, just like all those 40/50 plus convictions that scumbags get, lock them up for years. Don't give them a suspended sentence, eh?

Bill 2.0

Notdeco wrote: »

Yep you are dead right, just like all those 40/50 plus convictions that scumbags get, lock them up for years. Don't give them a suspended sentence, eh?

No one should get a suspended sentence.


If you are convicted of a crime you get punished, no excuses or dog-ate-my-homework ****e. Our society is **** because of the "awwww, de poor lad" attitude.


Come down on people like a ton of bricks. Be more like Asian countries where people are afraid to break the law because it is a taboo in their society and it ****s up you life because the courts don't have any pity on people.

GNWoodd

GNWoodd wrote: »

How did this man even come to their attention

This is the question people should be asking. You don't just randomly end up in court. Chances are he's up to something and the Gardai can only nail him for this?


Or he's a disrespectful prick to the Gardai in day-to-day life and they decided to return the favour?


Or he's self entitled and has the smell all over the place, including neighbours houses, who are reporting him constantly for it.


As I say, you don't just wake up and happen to be in court randomly.

Gynoid

[Deleted User] wrote: »

This is the question people should be asking. You don't just randomly end up in court. Chances are he's up to something and the Gardai can only nail him for this?


Or he's a disrespectful prick to the Gardai in day-to-day life and they decided to return the favour?


Or he's self entitled and has the smell all over the place, including neighbours houses, who are reporting him constantly for it.


As I say, you don't just wake up and happen to be in court randomly.

Irregardless, it is a stupid statute. And I dont see any story of him being all those things you suggest. Having previous is also having previous for growing grass so it was a stupid law back in 1998 too. Just like if in the past a person being charged of homosexual acts if they were also accused of previously doing homosexual acts, it is the law in both instances that is the ass. Ahem. But growing for personal use is becoming legal in so many jurisdictions and one day people like this chap will tell their story to the disbelief of young folk in the future.

Be right back

JP Liz V1 wrote: »

I would have thought all or some suspended at least

Mine while a fella assaults a lady in a hospital ward and gets suspended

By the same judge. He sentenced the man to 18 months in jail but suspended the lot.

jh79

Fr_Dougal wrote: »

Growing it for his own use to treat a medical condition. He wasn’t funding criminals with his lifestyle.

Ridiculous.

5 plants is may more than personal use. A single person wouldn't get through 5 plants worth.

The medical angle was just an attempt to get a lighter sentence. Medical Marijuana has limited uses and diabetes isn't one of them.

Gynoid

jh79 wrote: »

5 plants is may more than personal use. A single person wouldn't get through 5 plants worth.

The medical angle was just an attempt to get a lighter sentence. Medical Marijuana has limited uses and diabetes isn't one of them.

5 plants in many cases is not enough for a years supply for 1 person. Having to use a medical angle at all is what is ridiculous.
Regulate it like ethyl akcohol, which is a dangerous intoxicant. As can cannabis be for some people. Strict drug driving laws. Tax and certified origin etc. Licenses to sell. No public disorder. Just like alcohol. What you do in your own home is your own business.

I think it is time for people to organise some kind of a petition, online collection of signatures to send to Dail, An Garda, judges etc change.org style of thing. Use this case as a focal point and make opinions heard. I am not a user of cannabis so it is not my fight, but those who are should organise themselves.

antix80

ygolometsipe wrote: »

It's very messed up. Look what happened this guy, blinded by an acid attack and they get a caution :eek:.

Soft sentences for minorities. Gardai and courts won't touch them.

jh79

Gynoid wrote: »

5 plants in many cases is not enough for a years supply for 1 person. Having to use a medical angle at all is what is ridiculous.
Regulate it like ethyl akcohol, which is a dangerous intoxicant. As can cannabis be for some people. Strict drug driving laws. Tax and certified origin etc. Licenses to sell. No public disorder. Just like alcohol. What you do in your own home is your own business.

I think it is time for people to organise some kind of a petition, online collection of signatures to send to Dail, An Garda, judges etc change.org style of thing. Use this case as a focal point and make opinions heard. I am not a user of cannabis so it is not my fight, but those who are should organise themselves.

I agree that the law is wrong but 5 plants would produce a huge amount for a single person. The claim that it was for medical use was pure bullsh*t.

STB.

Cork_Langer1 wrote: »

It's the devil's lettuce, it leads you to grow poppy plants and coca leaves and gives you phycological issues.

Cannabis has no physical or addictive dependencies. It does not lead you to start growing cocaine or heroin plants which would be quite difficult in Ireland. The only connection between availability of drugs, some benign and some heavily addictive ones is the criminality that sells them.

Cork_Langer1 wrote: »

It has to stay illegal for the jobs, guards, solicitors,judges publicans, pharmacies, addiction centers.

It does not have to stay illegal. At worst its a medical issue not a criminal one. So it shouldn't be seen as a business for the legal communities. Infact, given 75% of drug convictions are for small cannabis possession, a lot of the AGS and Court time could be freed up to go after the criminals selling actual Class A destructive and addictive drugs. Neither should publicans have any say in that matter. They just want to sell their toxic, non criminalised product that actually causes assaults,very large addiction issues and deaths .

Cork_Langer1 wrote: »

Hope it's appealed straight away.but the previous for growing and the old 1998 conviction for sale and supply had a bearing on the sentence.

We truly are a backward country, this person removed the criminality from his pasttime and knew exactly what he was smoking.

Unlike the judge and society, he saw no harm in it, was not led by the nose, and according to the article kept himself to himself and was growing it for personal use, in turn not contributing to the criminal element who are profiting off it, and using the money to reinvest in guns and coke and heroin, which in turn ends up with society reading about chopped up bodies in sports holdalls.

Judges have too much latitude when it comes to these type crimes. One judge, your off with a slap, another judge and your rightly fúcked as is the case here the judge is the one "very entrenched in his beliefs about the use of drugs".

So forward thinking when it comes to homosexuality laws etc, but stuck in the reefer madness days when it comes to beneficial drugs that also have chilled out recreational uses that cause little if any harm. Welcome to the nanny state in 2020.

GooglePlus

jh79 wrote: »

I agree that the law is wrong but 5 plants would produce a huge amount for a single person. The claim that it was for medical use was pure bullsh*t.

5 plants isn't a whole lot for personal use, especially if you're rotating plants at different cycles.

A Google search will provide massive plants alright but you have to remember that these are usually grown at industrial scale in the States.

5 plants could easily only produce 5 ounces, which won't last you very long.

STB.

jh79 wrote: »

5 plants is may more than personal use. A single person wouldn't get through 5 plants worth.

The medical angle was just an attempt to get a lighter sentence. Medical Marijuana has limited uses and diabetes isn't one of them.

A Singles person would get through 5 plants, quite easily. He was growing them in a tent using indoor propagation lights. House plant size. Given they take 3 months to grow, he probably wasn't growing them all year round and was stocking it for future use. Its not a perishable item.

Medical "Cannabis" does not have limited uses. At least we have moved on from when the US told us that it had no medical uses whatsoever.

You're a crank when it comes to this topic. Someone with a BSc who thinks he knows it all. There is no medical excuse for non legalisation of cannabis other than the work it might create for heads in the sand merchants who refuse to copy some other country's template.