💾 Archived View for eir.mooo.com › nuacht › cilld17185287012.gmi captured on 2024-06-16 at 12:44:44. Gemini links have been rewritten to link to archived content

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Kildare court defendant says he turned to drugs because of isolation during Covid-19 lockdown

Ciaran Mather, 16 Jun

A young male defendant who appeared before Naas District Court turned

to using drugs because he was isolated during the Covid-19 lockdown.

The man’s defending solicitor, Tim Kennelly, made the comments while

speaking to Judge Desmond Zaidan on Thursday, June 13 last.

Gardaí said that the man was caught with €290 worth of cannabis, €500

worth of MDMA (also known as 'ecstasy') and €20 of psilocybin (also

known as 'magic mushrooms') at a location in County Kildare back in

2020.

Mr Kennelly applied for a strike-out in the case, citing the four-year

delay.

Commenting on the drugs involved, Judge Zaidan said: "He (the

defendant) was dicing with death."

He added: "Who was supplying this stuff while (the) Covid (lockdown)

was going on? That’s not a good reflection on the gardaí; where were

the checkpoints around the place?"

The defendant in the case was represented by solicitor Tim Kennelly.

File photograph.

Mr Kennelly replied that his client had been struggling with isolation

brought on by staying at home during the Covid-19 lockdown.

"He has no previous convictions, and was using all of these drugs

solely for personal use," Mr Kennelly said: "He is sober now, and has

not come to garda attention since."

Speaking directly to the man, the judge asked him: "Do you understand

what’s going on?"

"I do, absolutely, yes," the man replied.

The judge then proceeded to warn the man that he was funding drug gangs

in Ireland by purchasing these drugs.

He also warned him of the dangers of falling into drug addiction.

Judge Zaidan added that he was glad to hear that the man is now sober,

and adjourned the matter to a date in November for sentencing.

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article,

you can contact Samaritans Ireland (116123 or jo@samaritans.org) or you

can visit pieta.ie (24/7 Free Crisis Helpline: 1800 247 247 or Text

HELP to 51444).

For further information related to seeking treatment for drug and

alcohol abuse, please contact the HSE's confidential drugs and alcohol

freephone helpline on 1800 459 459, from Monday to Friday between

9.30am and 5.30pm, or email helpline@hse.ie.

You can also

visit: https://www.hse.ie/eng/services/list/5/addiction/drugshivhelplin

e/.