DISTRICT COURT ROUND-UP

From our reporter at Sligo Courthouse

Man, 30, who had cannabis on bus is given a €100 fine

A Ballyshannon man has been fined €100 after he was detected with cannabis on a bus in Sligo.

Liam Cullen, 30, from The Gables, Ballyshannon, admitted that cannabis to the value of €25 was his when he was detected on a Bus Éireann bus at Lisnalurg on April 11 last year.

There were two people on the bus. Gardaí were alerted that there was a smell of cannabis on the vehicle by the driver who pulled up the vehicle, the court heard.

The defendant, who was not in court, told gardaí on the bus that he drugs were for his personal use and he signed a garda notebook.

The defendant, who had no previous convictions, was fined €100.

Man told he will be interviewed about his drug taking

A Ballyshannon man will be interviewed by the Child and Family Agency after a court heard he was taking drugs when his child was born, Sligo District Court was told. Keelan Mulhern, 24, from St Benildus Avenue, Ballyshannon, pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis at Ballinacarrow on August 3 last year. The court heard the value of the drugs was €10.

The defendant had four previous relevant convictions the court heard. Defence solicitor Rory O’Brien said the young man had been using too many drugs.

He was now a father, was in work and had a different perspective on life and will not be before the court on any other matters.

Judge Kevin Kilrane noted that the defendant had a child.

The court was told the child was a year and five months old.

The court heard the defendant had been taking drugs when the child was born.

The last previous drugs related matter was in March 2019 and the defendant told the court he had not been in trouble since 2017 and 2018. Mr O’Brien said the defendant’s child lived with his partner.

The defendant said he lived with his granny, and he stayed at his partner’s apartment a few days a week. Judge Kilrane fined the defendant €300 and told him he would be interviewed about his drug taking.

The judge ordered a report to be sent to the Child and Family Agency.

A Collooney man who pleaded guilty to stealing €4,476 from the Department of Employment Affairs has been given a community service order of 200 hours in lieu of two months in jail at the district court. Thirty-three-year-old Glen McCormack, Kiernan Avenue, Collooney, pleaded guilty to a total of nine offences that happened in a period from October 1, 2018, to June 30, 2019. The defendant admitted stealing various social welfare cheques at Collooney Post Office and at the

Ulster Bank in Sligo.

Defence solicitor Mark Mullaney said the case was put back for a probation report, which recommended a community service order. Mr Mullaney said the defendant would comply with all conditions laid down by the court.

The court heard the amount owed was €4,000 and the defendant was paying back at a rate of €50 per week. Judge Kevin Kilrane gave a concurrent sentence of 200 hours of a community service order on each charge in lieu of two months in jail.

Manorhamilton woman, 34, had €75 of cannabis

A Manorhamilton woman has been given the benefit of the Probation Act at Sligo District Court for possession of cannabis.

Edel Cullen, 34, from Taobh Tír, Manorhamiltion, pleaded guilty to the charge of having €75 of cannabis at Sráid Eoin, Uachtarach, Maugheraboy, on October 28, 2019.

She had no previous convictions.

Tubbercurry man Community service who stole welfare order for man, 33, given jail sentence who stole €4,000

A Tubbercurry man who conned the Department of Social Protection out of €14,512.10 has been jailed for five months at Sligo District Court. Darren O’Shaugnessy, The Granary, Rathscanlon, Charlestown Road, Tubbercurry, had pleaded guilty to a charge that on a date on August 26, 2015, he failed to tell the department that he was living with his spouse, Anastasia O’Shaughnessy, who was getting a disability payment from the US which affected his entitlement to Jobseekers Allowance.

He also pleaded guilty to a charge that he made a false statement to obtain Jobseekers Allowance on June 27, 2016.

Judge Kevin Kilrane had told the defendant at last month’s sitting in Tubbercurry that he would be jailed for five months if he did not bring “thousands” to last Thursday’s district court in Sligo.

Sligo State solicitor Elisa McHugh told the court the defendant had repaid just over €800 of the total owed.

Defence solicitor Eamon Óg Gallagher said his client was in court, with his wife there for moral support. The couple’s total income was disability benefit of €2,000 per month and his wife had €200 of medical bills per month.

The solicitor said: “You said he would be jailed for five months but he isn’t in a position to come up with any money. There is a saying that you can’t take blood from a turnip and this turnip does not have blood. I have explained it to him.”

The defendant fully accepted that he had taken the money.

The defendant was not getting any social welfare.

Judge Kilrane said the defendant had defrauded the State out of €14,000. The judge said that surely at a time of virtual full-employment in 2015 he had a chance to get some work in an effort to make good for some of the money that was taken. The judge noted that only €840 had been repaid and anyone who takes €14,000 and does not pay it back must go to jail.

Judge Kilrane gave the defendant two concurrent sentences of five months on the two charges to which he pleaded guilty.

Related charges were struck out. Leave to appeal to the circuit court was set at an independent bond of €2,000 and €7,500 to be lodged in cash.

Mr Gallagher asked if the judge would suspend some of the sentence as it was the defendant’s first offence and he was never in court before.

Sligo Courthouse.

The judge said he would suspend the final two months of the sentence provided the defendant came up with €4,000 as part of the order.

When Mr Gallagher told the judge that this was not possible as there was nobody to help the defendant, the judge said he was refusing the application to suspend the sentence. He jailed the defendant for five months.

Woman drunk and a danger to herself in Ballytivnan

A Sligo woman, who was not in court, has been fined €100 for being drunk and a danger to herself and others at Ballytivnan on May 19 last. Louise McHugh, 35, from The Woodlands, Ballytivnan, was detected in that condition at that location against a background of difficulties with her partner.

She was asked to stay away from the property.

The defendant had one previous conviction for failing to comply with the instructions of a peace officer last December in a similar incident at the same apartment with her partner.

Defence solicitor Gerry McGovern said he did not know where the defendant was, but she seems to have an alcohol problem.

Fining the defendant €100, Judge Kevin Kilrane said: “This lady appears to have problems.”

Probation Act for Collooney man, 50, who had cannabis

A Collooney man who pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis, was given the Probation Act at Sligo District Court.

John Surmin, 50, from Owenmore Drive, Collooney, who has no previous convictions, admitted the offence that happened at the above address on June 26 last year.

Defence solicitor John Anderson said the man was “self-medicating”.

Charged with having cannabis for sale in Sligo

A Co. Leitrim man has been charged at Sligo District Court with having drugs for sale or supply, in excess of €13,000 at Heather View, Tonaphubble, Sligo, on December 20 last year.

Damien McPadden, 42, from McDermott Terrace is charged with having cannabis for sale or supply and possession of cannabis at Clooneen, Manorhamilton, on December 20 last year.

He is also charged with having cannabis for sale or supply and possession of cannabis at Heather View, Tonaphubble, on the same date. Garda Eamon McDonnell gave evidence of further charging the defendant, who made no reply, the court heard.

Sergeant Derek Butler applied for trial on indictment in the circuit court on all charges.

Defence solicitor Gerry McGovern said the defendant had given up his bail in Tubbercurry. He now wanted to apply for bail on the same terms. The defendant had been in custody since February 24.

There were no objections to his bail application, the court heard.

The defendant was remanded on a bond of €300. He had to surrender his passport and keep a curfew from 10.30pm to 9am. The defendant was to sign on at Manorhamilton Garda Station on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. And he was to live at McDermott Terrace.

The defendant was remanded on continuing bail until July for service of the book of evidence.

19-year-old from Ballymote caught with €50 of drugs

A Ballymote man who admitted possession of cannabis, has been given the Probation Act, at Sligo District Court.

Mason Dixon, 19, from Tower Hill, Ballymote, had €50 of cannabis at the above address on September 18 last year.

He had no previous convictions.

Ballymote man, 35, who admitted he had cocaine is fined

A Ballymote man has been fined €400 after admitting possession of cocaine at Sligo District Court.

Kyle Donovan, 35, from Bearlagh, Ballymote, pleaded guilty to the offence that happened at Keenaghan, Ballymote, on March 27 last year.

The court heard the street value of the drugs was €100.

The defendant had 80 previous convictions. The last one was in 2013. Defence solicitor Gerry McGovern said there were a lot of convictions in the man’s past.

The defendant had been in care and had been doing a lot of drugs, but his life had changed for the better in recent years.