Suspended jail term for possessing cannabis in rural Co. Tipperary community

A 30 year-old man with eight previous convictions for drugs offences received a six month suspended jail term for possessing a small amount of cannabis in Ballyporeen. 

Judge Terence Finn told Gerard Murphy of 21 Linden Hall, Mitchelstown the court was “stopping just short of having him enter the gates of Limerick Prison” as he imposed the suspended jail sentence at Cashel District Court's latest sitting. 

Mr Murphy pleaded guilty to possessing the illegal drug at Kiltankin, Ballyporeen on February 13 last year.  

Garda John Downey said Gda. Michael Cussen stopped  and searched Mr Murphy at this location and found between €5 and €10 worth of cannabis.  

Mr Murphy had 32 previous convictions eight of which were for Misuse of Drugs Act offences.  

Defence solicitor Colin Morrissey said the amount of cannabis found on his client was “minuscule” and was remnants of the drug found on a grinder. It was four years since Mr Murphy's last conviction and this “slip” by his client was at the lower end of the scale of severity. 

Judge Finn suspended the six month jail term for two years and directed the gardai to bring Mr Murphy back before the court if he was caught again with drugs. “And he would want to have his bags packed,” he warned. 

Earlier at the court, Judge Finn ordered  gardai to confiscate Mr Murphy's mobile phone after sound emanating from it disturbed the court's proceedings.   

The phone was handed back to the defendant at the conclusion of the case after Gda. Downey reported to Judge Finn he was satisfied the phone hadn't been recording the court hearing  and the noise was caused by a technical malfunction.