Man claimed balloon landing in garden led to drugs being posted to his house

AN ENNISCORTHY man who claimed a balloon which landed in his back garden led to drugs worth €25,000 being posted to his house has been given a four-year suspended prison sentence at Wexford Circuit Criminal Court.

Michael Kelly (47), of 58 Sliabh Amharc, Enniscorthy, pleaded guilty to possession of the controlled drug Pentylone, for sale or supply, when his case came before Judge Cormac Quinn.

Kelly had originally pleaded not guilty when his case came before Wexford Circuit Criminal Court, but following legal argument and a change of legal team, the defendant changed his plea to guilty.

At last week’s sentencing hearing, defence counsel Colman Cody told the court Kelly had originally concocted a bizarre explanation that a balloon had landed in his back garden with a note saying that he was entitled to a prize if he sent back his address details.

Kelly claimed he believed he was receiving a prize in the post, not a package of drugs.

Sgt Denis Murphy told the court that a package containing white powder had been found at the mail centre in Portlaoise, with a subsequent analysis of the substance identifying it as the controlled drug Pentylone. The drug had a valuation of €24,725.

Gardai were alerted to the package, and when it was delivered to the defendant, he signed his name as ‘John Kelly’. The package, said Sgt Murphy, was later seized by member of the Customs and Excise unit and the defendant was arrested and brought to Wexford Garda Station, where Kelly denied any knowledge of the contents of the package.

Defence counsel Colman Cody told the court the defendant, who has a partner and three children, had suffered from mental health issues in the past. Kelly had been approached by an individual who told him he would receive €1,000 in exchange for signing for the package. Mr Cody described the defendant as vulnerable person who was in fear of this individual offering €1,000 for the package.

It’s an usual case, Mr Cody told the court, where a plea of guilty was entered albeit at a later stage. Kelly had no previous convictions, the court heard.

Sentencing the defendant to four years in prison, Judge Quinn said he would suspend the sentence in its entirety for four years on defendant entering a bond of €200 to keep the peace for four years.