The teenage son of celebrity chef, Rachel Allen has been remanded for sentence after he affirmed guilty pleas in relation to a number of drug offences following the seizure by gardaí last year of €30,000 worth of cannabis and a small quantity of cocaine at the world famous Ballymaloe Cookery School.
Joshua Allen (19) of Ballinamona, Shanagarry, Co Cork affirmed three guilty pleas when he was arraigned at Cork Circuit Criminal Court following the seizure of the drugs by members of the Cork City Divisional Drugs Squad following a joint operation with customs officers.
Allen affirmed guilty pleas to possessing cannabis worth more than €13,000 for sale or supply and possession of cocaine at Ballymaloe Cookery School on August 30th, 2018 and to possessing cannabis at his home at Ballinamona, Shanagarry on September 5th, 2018.
Defence counsel, Siobhan Lankford SC said there was a certain amount of duplication in the six charges which Allen had originally been charged with at Midleton District Court last month and she would address that issue of duplication when the issue of sentence was dealt with.
"He is accepting full responsibility in respect of all matters – the defence case is that the charges that he has pleaded to encompass all the other charges," said Ms Lankford as she applied to the court for a probation report on her client.
Ms Lankford explained that her client was “a young man who has never been in court before” and she believed that he would benefit from a probation report while she also informed the court that he was currently receiving treatment but she didn’t specify what precisely he was receiving treatment for.
Barrister for the State, Don McCarthy BL said that the State had no objection to the matter being put back and Judge Brian O’Callaghan remanded Allen on continuing bail to appear in court again on November 8th for sentence on the drugs charges.
