Because of buying and dealing in drugs, as we’ve seen this week, people are ending up dead in their homes. This was the reaction of a Judge at Galway District Court when a defendant with a previous conviction for drug dealing came before him on another drugs charge.
Judge John Brennan was making reference to the tragic loss of life in an arson attack in Edenderry, Co Offaly which is believed to have a drug debt at the root cause of the double homicide.
He made his observations when dealing with the case against Aidan Bowman, Moycullen, who was found to be in possession of cannabis to the value of €116 when Gardaí searched his home on March 12 last.
The judge was concerned that the defendant had been convicted on a charge of sale or supply of drugs in 2023. He had received a sentence of 200 hours community service and the Judge commented that this obviously hadn’t worked as the defendant was back before the court on another drug possession charge.
Olivia Traynor solr (defending ) pleaded that her client had co-operated with Gardaí and shown them where he kept his cannabis in his home and had pleaded guilty at the first opportunity. He worked full-time, had never been a drain on the State and had a family.
However, Judge Brennan said the drugs trade was dehumanising people and they didn’t have to look further than the jurisdiction of the court to witness violence over drug debts.
His main concern in this case was the previous sale or supply conviction but he was willing to adjourn matters until the May 13 sitting, by which time he would need real proof that the defendant had followed an addiction awareness programme and was dealing with his cannabis issue. If this proof was forthcoming then he would deal with the case by way of a €300 donation to the court poor box.
