Musician (70) caught with €9k worth of cannabis he used for 'creativity purposes' at Cork home

A 70-year-old musician who grew cannabis and smoked it for creativity purposes was caught with more than €9,000 worth of the drug at his home in Glengarriff.

Garda John O’Sullivan went to the home of Paul Grant at Monteensudder in Glengarriff on November 22, 2019 with a search warrant.

“A large quantity of cannabis was found on two premises. I took a cautioned memo of interview. He admitted owning all of the cannabis found.

“The 466 grammes of cannabis found was valued €9,320.

“He is 70 years old and suffers from ill-health. He was cooperative at all times.

“He is a musician and he uses cannabis for creativity purposes,” Garda O’Sullivan said.

Defence barrister Peter O’Flynn said, “He is not involved in anything like this anymore.

“He is extremely anxious about the situation in which he finds himself. He has no previous convictions.” 

Given the defendant’s age and poor health Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin said he would impose a suspended two-year sentence.

The judge made it a condition of the suspension that the accused would give an undertaking to allow gardaí to inspect his premises any time within the next two years.

Paul Grant gave this undertaking.