Defendant’s culinary skills acknowledged after he baked caked containing cannabis

THE culinary skills of a defendant who put cannabis into a cake were acknowledged when his case went before last week’s sitting of Gorey District Court.

Joseph Connolly, 3 Ballyconniger, Blackwater, appeared before Judge Brian O’Shea charged in connection with drugs related offences allegedly committed at his home address on February 22, 2018.

Inspector Syl Hipwell told the court that on that date gardai carried out a search and discovered €1,355 in cash and that the defendant said €1,000 was his own and €355 was from the sale of drugs.

The defendant’s solicitor, Triona Walsh, said her 23-year-old client had a long standing issue with cannabis.

‘He stays in a mobile home on the grounds of his grandparents,’ she told the court.

She said he was on a workability programme which resulted in him getting work five-days-aweek and this was proving very positive for him.

‘He helps his grandparents at home and his mother also supports him,’ said Ms Walsh.

With regard to the offence before the court she said: ‘He was baking a cake with cannabis so he has some culinary skills.’

Her comment prompted the judge to then say: ‘That is the most positive way I have ever heard someone describe someone [in such circumstances]. You are looking at his culinary skills as a baker rather than this dealing.’

‘He was supplying cannabis to friends through a cannabis cake at a party,’ said Ms Walsh, before adding: ‘I am not sure if there were candles on it.’

Describing her client as polite she said he had ‘his own issues that he had to deal with’.

Judge O’Shea said it was a serious matter which he viewed to be at the lower end of the middle range of gravity.

‘He had €355 from cannabis supplied to friends yet he had €1,000 of his own,’ he said.

The judge also noted the defendant had previous convictions and said: ‘He was before the court before because he has a drug problem.’

He then remanded the defendant on continuing bail to Gorey District Court on December 5, 2019, and said that if he pays €1,000 to the Cornmarket Project by that time he will impose a two-month sentence suspended for 12 months.

‘If it’s not done he will go to prison for two months,’ added the judge.