Mechanic held €200k of cannabis to pay ESB bill
By Fiona Ferguson
A POLISH mechanic who agreed to hold €200,000 of cannabis at his rented home in order to pay off an electricity bill has been jailed for four years.
Jakub Remlein (40), formerly of Nash Street, Inchicore, Dublin pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of cannabis at that address on October 13, 2017.
Garda Killian Foley told Fionnuala O'Sullivan BL, prosecuting, that in the course of an investigation into the cultivation of cannabis at another location Remlein’s address was searched.
Two co-accused are still before the courts in relation to that investigation and no charges were brought against Remlein in relation to the other location.
Gardai recovered seven vacuum sealed bags containing cannabis valued at €238,038 from Remlein’s rented home.
He has 14 previous convictions for road traffic offences.
Gda Foley agreed with Michael Hourican BL, defending, that gardai believe his co-accused’s involvement was at a higher level and Remlein was a “gilly.” He agreed that Remlein received €1,600 to clear a large electricity bill for allowing the drugs on his premises.
Mr Hourican said Remlein had been gainfully employed since arriving here in 2005. He was granted bail but did not take it up and his family have returned to Poland.
He asked the court to take into account that gardai had accepted Remlein was very much at the bottom end of the offending and his reward was “minuscule.”
Judge Melanie Greally accepted he was at a low level of the operation and said she was satisfied she could depart from the presumptive minimum sentence of ten years imprisonment applicable to the possession of drugs for sale or supply with a value greater than €13,000.
She said Remlein had a very valuable function in terms of the drug distribution network and was doing it for profit, even if it was small.
She noted, on the basis of the available evidence, that Remlein was not operating under duress and did not have addiction issues.
Judge Greally took into account his early guilty plea, co-operation, lack of relevant previous convictions and good work history.
She also noted he was serving his sentence in a foreign country and would have little family support. She imposed four years imprisonment.
