Caught in possession of ecstasy,help please!1

nm wrote: »

Yea. Ops version of events has the garda is guilty of supply

THE court poor box was almost €20,000 richer when over 100 people appeared before the district court in Portlaoise last Thursday arising from drug detections at last year’s Electric Picnic music festival in Stradbally, which took place between 31 August and 2 September. Those who came before the court ranged in age from 18 to 60 and came from all backgrounds – unemployed, graduates, tradesmen, nurses, IT technicians, mothers, fathers, students, engineers, musicians and self-employed.

Detective garda sergeant Pat Scully, who was presenting the prosecution evidence, said that most of the 106 people summoned before the court – 12 of whom were women – had no previous criminal records.

At the outset of the hearing, Judge Catherine Staines made it quite clear that, as in previous years, she would give those who had no criminal record a chance and not impose a criminal conviction, but that if any came before her who had been previously warned by the courts, she would impose a conviction.

Of the 106 defendants, 13 had been previously before the courts on drug offences. One of them had appeared before Judge Staines last year following a drug detection at the Electric Picnic in 2011. He had been given a chance by Judge Staines at that time and had escaped without a conviction. However, when he came before the judge last Thursday, she imposed a criminal conviction. The 13 people who were convicted of possessing drugs were each fined €300.

Thirty-one of the cases were adjourned to other dates later this month and to September to allow the defendants time to gather up the €300 that Judge Staines had instructed all those escaping a conviction to donate to the court poor box or to prepare to get their evidence in place to contest the summonses. Six of these cases are due to be contested.

Of the 106 people before the court last Thursday, two were from Laois.

Judge Staines said that the €19,800 that had been donated to the court poor box would be distributed to organisations such as the Merchant Quay Project, the Anne Liffey Project, the Athy Alternative programme and other local charities dealing with people suffering from drug and alcohol addiction and abuse.

Detective Scully provided evidence throughout the day-long court hearing that there were 39 detections for ecstasy tablets over the picnic weekend with an estimated street value of €2,680. There were 45 separate detections of cannabis herb valued at €1,480. He said that ten people were found in possession of cocaine totalling €840, six cases of cannabis resin valued at €160, one person was found in possession of speed at a value of €20, two people in possession of methadone valued at €150 and one person was discovered to have had magic mushrooms in his possession, valued at €15.