A man who returned to Ireland from Germany to face a charge of having €106,000 worth of cannabis, even though the case had previously been dropped, has received a seven-year jail sentence.
Judge Katherine Delahunt suspended the last three years of the sentence after hearing that Seán Kelly had returned to Ireland to face the charges, even though the case had been dropped by gardaí, and that he had not absconded bail by moving abroad.
Kelly (30), Barnaville Park, Ballyfermot, and Allenton Avenue, Ballycragh, Tallaght, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court yesterday to having 8.38kg of the drugs in April 2002.
Judge Delahunt said she took into account that he was no longer addicted to cannabis or cocaine and that he had "cut all ties with former colleagues who deal in this heinous trade".
Martin Giblin, defending, said Kelly's mother died when he was 16 and his father had moved to Germany when he was still a child.
He had 11 previous convictions dating back to 1995, including a drug possession charge for which he was fined €1,270.
Garda Kieran O'Neill said Kelly was brought before the District Court in April 2002, but the charges were later dropped and he moved to Germany to live with his father. He accepted that Kelly later returned and contacted the Garda station stating he wanted to answer the charge. He had not absconded by moving abroad.
Mr Giblin told Judge Delahunt that Kelly had also returned to Ireland to try and make a contribution to his six-year-old son's life.