Man caught with cannabis stash and cash jailed

A TOTAL of €49,000 in cash was found in a jewellery box beside a wheelie bin at the back of a house in Cork city where a €6,800 stash of cannabis was also found.

As a result, at Cork Circuit Criminal Court, James McCarthy was jailed for three years after he accepted responsibility for the cash and the drugs found at 5 Barnavara Crescent, Banduff Road, Mayfield, Cork, on May 9 2023.

Defence barrister Elaine Audley said the accused was no longer residing at that address and was living in a caravan at no fixed address.

The accused told Garda Damien Cronin that he was under instruction from an unnamed third party to hold on to the proceeds of his drug-dealing until it reached €50,000 and then to hand over that amount.

Ms Audley said the accused was in fear for his life of this third party.

Garda Cronin said that when gardaí arrived to execute the search warrant just after 6 pm on May 9 two years ago the door was not opened for gardaí and it had to be breached.

The cash and the cannabis were soon located. The drugs were in containers under tarpaulin at the rear of the property. Garda Cronin said that one of the cameras caught James McCarthy fleeing from back of the property as soon as gardaí arrived to conduct a search.

“He openly admitted the cash was the proceeds of selling drugs,” Garda Cronin said.

CCTV cameras were mounted at a number of locations around the house and the defendant was seen frequently attending at locations where the cannabis and the cash were stored.

The defendant admitted having cannabis in his possession for sale or supply and possession of property namely €49,000 in cash knowing that the property was the proceeds of criminal activity.

Elaine Audley barrister said the accused had chronic diabetes, no drugs convictions and had pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity.

Judge Dermot Sheehan imposed a sentence of four years and suspended the last year of the sentence.