After drugs bust, man claimed he was dealing dog nuts, court hears
A man caught with a tick-list in his van and €12,000 worth of cannabis in kennels at the back of his home claimed he was dealing dog nuts feed and using all of the illegal drugs himself.
Ray Kelleher, of 25 O’Connor Park, Macroom, Co Cork, was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment with the last two years suspended on charges of having cannabis herb and cannabis resin for sale or supply at his home on March 24, 2016.
Mahon Corkery, barrister, said Kelleher had done a volte-face in terms of overall changes to his lifestyle, that he now had a full-time job and was no longer associating with antisocial peers.
Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin said some element of a custodial sentence had to be imposed on Kelleher as he previously got an entirely suspended sentence for having €8,000 worth of cannabis for sale in October 2010.
Garda Catherine McCarthy testified at Cork Circuit Criminal Court that gardaí obtained a warrant to search Kelleher’s home on March 24, 2016.
At the back of the property, in four kennels, various amounts of cannabis and herb were found.
Kelleher volunteered that the drugs were there once gardaí presented themselves.
There was €1,000 worth of resin and €12,000 worth of cannabis herb. A tick-list was found in his van.
“He claimed that the drugs were for his own personal use, for treating back pain, and the explanation for the list was that he was dealing dog nuts,” said Garda McCarthy.
Asked if she believed this, Garda McCarthy replied: “Absolutely not.”
Mr Corkery said Kelleher had an addiction to cannabis but was now clear of that as a result of rehabilitation.
Garda McCarthy said she did not believe Kelleher had an addiction to drugs.
Judge Ó Donnabháin said that this latter evidence was not what was most worrying in the case.
He said Kelleher’s biggest problem was his previous suspended sentence for drug dealing and then getting caught doing the same thing again.
