Man kept cocaine in lawnmower
A Dublin man who stowed over €6,000 worth of cocaine in a lawnmower in his garden shed has been given a suspended sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
George Walpole (aged 43), of Hunters Wood, Ballycullen, pleaded guilty to possession of drugs for sale or supply at The Grove, Belgard Heights, Tallaght on September 18, 2008.
Judge Frank O’Donnell noted Walpole was a hard-working man who was judged to be at a medium risk of reoffending. He gave him a three year sentence, suspended in full for five years on strict conditions.
Garda Mark Bergin told Ms Gerardine Small BL, prosecuting, that on the afternoon of September 18 he approached Walpole outside the Tallaght house he was sharing with his partner.
After initially identifying himself as “Anthony”, Walpole was searched and found to be in possession of three small bags of cocaine and over €400 in cash.
Having subsequently obtained a warrant to search the premises, Gda Bergin told Ms Small that when he and his colleagues searched a garden shed they located 84 grams of cocaine wrapped in a black plastic bag and concealed in a lawnmower.
Walpole accepted in garda interview that the cocaine was his but denied that he was planning on selling it.
Gda Bergin accepted a suggestion by Mr Remy Farrell BL, defending, that Walpole took personal responsibility for the drugs at an early stage, which obviated the necessity for further arrests and was of some value to gardaí in their investigation.
Mr Farrell told the court that Walpole was the principle carer for his partner and their four year old child, that he had a drug problem and that he had not come to the attention of gardaí since his arrest.
Judge O’Donnell said that individuals such as Walpole did not deserve the sympathy of the court, as they serve to “keep the whole (drugs) industry going” and when caught often decline to impart any information which may be of assistance to gardaí.
