Six-month term for drug dealing

A 23-YEAR- OLD Enniscorthy resident was led away to begin a six month jail term after details of his drug dealing and dangerous driving were given to Gorey District Court.

Charlie Hollwill, with addresses at 57 Ashbrook, The Moyne, and Carrigabruse, Enniscorthy, entered guilty pleas through solicitor Lana Doherty.

The court learned that 31 cannabis wraps, a scales and a tick list were found at the house in Ashbrook on March 25 last year. The total value of the cannabis was reckoned by the prosecution to be €828.

Gardaí also seized a phone which contained numerous messages arranging the sale or supply of the drug.

The dangerous driving case was taken after Hollwill was seen at the wheel of a 2005 registered Skoda Superb on the afternoon of May 6. He was headed the wrong way along Court Street and then along Church Street, both one-way streets.

Defending solicitor Lana Doherty said her client had a good work history, having been employed on the Enniscorthy by-pass and then for a while in a butcher’s shop. He had gone to the UK for a time and worked there for an agricultural agency, she added.

Hollwill, Ms Doherty revealed, had a turbulent relationship in the past with his parents but was now back living in the family home. He began smoking cannabis at the age of 13, the court was told.

In reaching his decision, Judge Brian O’Shea felt he could not ignore the defendant’s record of past offences.

Previous convictions included counts of drug possession, driving without insurance, assault and criminal damage.

The six-month jail sentence came with a six-year driving ban.