Man stashed €17,000 worth of cannabis in washing machine
By Anne Sharkey
A man who had stashed over €17,000 worth of cannabis in a washing machine at his flat has received a suspended sentence after a court heard his childhood was exceptionally traumatic..
Cameron Malcomson (21), of no fixed abode but formerly of Seagull House, Rutland Avenue, Crumlin, Dublin had pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of drugs for supply on March 28 2019 at a flat in Tallaght.
Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
Garda James O’Meara told John Berry BL prosecuting, that during a search of the flat gardai found cannabis worth an estimated €17,332 hidden in a washing machine.
Malcomson was present and told gardai he was holding them for someone else.
The court heard that he wouldn’t disclose who he was holding the drugs for because he was in fear for his life.
Garda O’Meara told Stephen Montgomery BL, defending, that Malcomson had no previous convictions at the time.
Garda Keith O’Brien told the court that Malcomson had since chalked up three convictions for possession of drugs and knives on September 26th 2019.
The court heard that the defendant had been raised in Northern Ireland by his mother who had an addiction to alcohol. His father died by suicide when Malcomson was just eleven years old.
Judge Pauline Codd described the trauma in his childhood as “exceptional”. She said she was taking this, as well as his young age and his early pleas of guilty, into consideration when sentencing him.
Judge Codd said she was willing to give Malcomson a chance to make the necessary changes.
She told Malcomson “I’m not giving you a get out of jail card” and suspended a sentence of four and a half years under strict conditions which he must comply with.
This sentence includes a three year sentence for the drugs offence and a term of 18 months for an attempted car-jacking in the city on October 27, 2019. Malcomson was out on bail for the earlier offence when he carried out this attack.
