GARDAI arrested a Raphoe man after sharp-eyed staff at a Letterkenny nightclub spotted in a toilet cubicle with another man, snorting speed up their noses.
And the same man was arrested several months later with €1,500 worth of strong cannabis resin in a car, Letterkenny District Court has heard.
Before the court was 29-year-old LYIT computer student Wayne McLaughlin, from Bray Cottage in Raphoe but now living in Trentnagh.
Inspector Michael Harrison told the court that on December 26, 2011, McLaughlin had been arrested by two officers from the Letterkenny Garda drugs unit after he was spotted inside a toilet cubicle with another man.
Gardai found white power on the cistern of the toilet which was later found to be speed worth €5.
“Mr McLaughlin admitted allowing the other man to snort the substance,” said Inspector Harrison.
Nine months later, he said, Gardai who had been monitoring the drugs trade in Letterkenny stopped McLaughlin and his brother John Paul McLaughlin (34) at Hawthorn Heights in the town.
A search found a substantial amount of cannabis with a street value of €1,500.
“Wayne McLaughlin initially denied possession of the drugs but after text messages on his phone were examined he admitted that he had owned the drugs,” said Inspector Harrison.
He said civil engineer John Paul McLaughlin had no previous convictions but brother Wayne did have convictions for burglary, theft and possession of knives.
Judge Paul Kelly adjourned sentencing, asking for probation reports.
He told defence solicitor Ciaran McLaughlin that he would consider his plea for community service.
But the judge warned: “I am not commiting myself to that (community service). The amount of drugs involved here is significant no matter what way you look at it.”
* Comments are closed on this article as the case is ongoing.