‘Experimental’ cannabis plants lead to fine for Letterkenny man

March 31, 2025

A man has been fined in court after being charged with the cultivation of cannabis plants at his Letterkenny home.

Paul Gallagher, a 47-year-old of Glendale Drive, Letterkenny, was before Letterkenny District Court.

Gallagher was charged with the offence relating to an incident on June 12, 2016. He was charged with the cultivation of cannabis on that date.

Garda Inspector Seamus McGonigle told the court that gardai called to a domestic-related incident at Glendale Drive on the date in question.

Officers detected a strong smell of cannabis in the premises. Gardai observed three plants on a window sill and the defendant admitted that they were cannabis.

Mr Patsy Gallagher, solicitor for the accused, said the incident was “just experimental” and his client was growing the plants “just to see how they would turn out, just to smoke it”.

He told the court that the incident was not a part of a greater enterprise and that his client was very compliant and gave full admissions.

The court heard that the accused man was in England working and “wasn’t evading” gardai, his solicitor said, asking Judge Ciaran Liddy not to jail him.

Judge Liddy convicted Gallagher and fined him €200. He was given six months to pay.

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