Found at home with over €1,000 worth of cannabis
Carlow Courthouse
A GRAIGUECULLEN man who contested a charge of possessing cannabis for sale or supply was found guilty as charged when he came before Carlow District Court last week.
Kyle Nolan, 42 St Fiacc’s Terrace, Graiguecullen was found guilty of possessing over €1,000 worth of cannabis when gardaí searched that address on 14 December 2023.
Solicitor Joe Farrell for Mr Nolan (31) had questioned the validity of a search warrant, which had been granted by peace commissioner William Paton some weeks before, on 28 November.
Mr Paton gave evidence of receiving a request from Garda David Conway for him to sign a warrant because he had smelt cannabis coming from Mr Nolan’s house and he wanted to search it.
Under cross-examination by Mr Farrell, Mr Paton said he took his job as a peace commissioner “very seriously”, that he had listened to Garda Conway’s reason for wanting to search Mr Nolan’s house and that he didn’t sign search warrants “willy-nilly”.
Garda Conway told the court that the search warrant wasn’t executed until 14 December, when he was on duty and got a call from a colleague telling him that he needed assistance at Mr Nolan’s house.
Garda Conway stated to the court that when he arrived at the scene, Mr Nolan was speaking to the garda through an open downstairs window because the front door was broken and wouldn’t open.
Garda Conway continued that he entered the house through the window and found cannabis worth almost €1,200 in the sitting room, where Mr Nolan had been.
Judge Geraldine Carthy determined that the state had made its case and found Mr Nolan guilty of possessing cannabis for sale or supply.
Mr Farrell told her that Mr Nolan claimed that the drugs were for his own personal use and that he’s now getting help with his addiction from the Ardú programme.
Judge Carthy directed a probation report and adjourned sentencing until 9 April.
