Judge’s warning after drugs find

Judge’s warning after drugs find

4 April 2012

A CASTLEWELLAN man who grew cannabis has been jailed for 16 months after a judge expressed concern at the number of local cannabis factories.

Eugene Greenan (47), of Ballylough Road, was arrested after police found 73 cannabis plants with a street value of over £36,000 in two houses near Castlewellan on July 26, 2010.

At Downpatrick Crown Court on Thursday, Judge David Smyth QC said Greenan, although not charged with intent to supply the class B drug, had plants “way beyond somebody whose intention was to grow some cannabis with the intention of smoking it himself”.

A prosecutor said the plants were found in an outhouse and attic following planned searches of two houses on the Fofanny Road and Ballylough Road.

A police officer told the court that the cannabis production has been “very professional”. She said Greenan claimed he was under the influence of a third party when interviewed by police, but as that person had since died there was no evidence to back this up.

When asked by Judge Smyth about the frequency of such finds, she said: “The first was a couple of years ago. This would be the fourth in the area.”

Defence barrister, Alan Blackburn, acknowledged his client had a record but said there was no drugs history.

He said he had successfully engaged with the Probation Service and described him as a man with a “strong work ethic”, who had overcome a problem with alcohol. Mr. Blackburn continued by appealing for any custodial sentence to be suspended.

Judge David Smyth said he disbelieved Greenan’s account of the deceased man being the one who led the operation, but said it was “almost certainly for the principal gain of someone else”.

“This cannot be dealt with by a suspended sentence,” he said. “In the court’s view a person who cultivates cannabis on any scale....must be aware of the price that is involved.”

Judge Smyth ordered Greenan to spend eight months of his sentence in jail and eight months on licence.