A JUDGE heard this week how a Limerick man’s enslavement to cannabis drove him to keep thousands of euros worth of the drug in his possession to feed his habit.
Before Judge Carol Anne Coolican was Tadhg Byrnes (20), with an address at Dungeeha, Newcastle West.
He pleaded guilty to a charge of having more than €3,600 worth of the drug in his possession.
The Newcastle West District Court heard Garda evidence that the drugs were found during a search of Mr Byrnes home on December 17, 2021.
Mr Byrnes also pleaded guilty to separate charges of causing a total of €570 of damage to a car and being highly intoxicated on January 4 of this year.
The accused man’s solicitor, Ted McCarthy, told the court that at the time the drugs were found his client “was in the throes of cannabis addiction” and the drugs were “to feed his habit.”
Mr McCarthy said Mr Byrnes was “extremely intoxicated” during the events which led to the criminal damage charge and that he wanted to apologise for his actions.
Judge Coolican asked whether any compensation had been paid for the damage to the car and was told that it had not, but Mr Byrnes was willing to pay it.
She agreed to adjourn sentencing to give him a chance to pay compensation and put the matter back to June 25.
