Gardaí crack egg case
A teenager who was caught with cannabis resin hidden in an egg, which gardaí suspected he was going to throw over a wall and into a prison, has been remanded on bail pending sentence.
The 16-year-old boy pleaded guilty today to possessing €60 worth of cannabis resin, and possession with intent to supply, at the Royal Canal bank, in Dublin, on July 8, 2006.
Garda David Brien, of Mountjoy station, told the Dublin Children’s Court, that he went on undercover patrol, along the Royal Canal bank, which is behind the Mountjoy Prison and St Patrick’s Institution buildings.
The purpose of the patrol was to stop items being thrown over the wall into the prison and juvenile detention centre’s training grounds.
He saw the teenager on the canal bank speaking to someone on his mobile phone and was overheard saying “I am at the back of the prison now, where are you?”
The boy took out an egg which was found to have €60 worth of cannabis contained inside.
Garda Brien said a common practice used to smuggle drugs into the prison was to have someone on the outside conceal them inside a taped up egg and throw it over the wall.
The boy, who was accompanied to court by his mother, had two previous convictions for drink-driving and being a passenger in a stolen car.
Defence solicitor Kelly Breen told the court that the boy had admitted having the drugs when he was questioned by gardai.
She said he was aged 15 at the time. He had been out of school and previously had been held in custody for educational assessments to be carried out. This identified a suitable education programme for him.
After the assessment ended he was let out and commenced a FAS educational course which he still attends with the intention of completing the Leaving Certificate.
Judge Ann Ryan ordered a pre-sentence probation report on the south Dublin teenager, who is on bail, to be obtained and adjourned the case until March.
