Party-loving mum grew cannabis at home

A young mother who told Judge Mary Fahy she did not think cannabis was a drug but always thought of it as a plant, pleaded guilty to cultivating the "plant" when she appeared before Galway District Court this week.

The woman's comments drew a strong reaction from Judge Fahy and following a talk with her solicitor, Lorraine McKenna, of 95 Friar's Hill, Rahoon, Galway, thought better of what she had said and apologised to Judge Fahy.

Inspector Pat McHugh told the court that gardaí searched McKenna's house on 21 July last and found a number of cannabis plants at various stages of development, from seedlings up to mature specimens, growing in a room at the house. He said the room was equipped with a huge amount of equipment including heaters, fertiliser, extractor fans and water - in fact, all the paraphernalia required to propagate and grow the plants.

He said McKenna was arrested and admitted to gardaí she was growing the cannabis plants. She said she was having parties in the house and, while she never sold the drug to anyone, she did give it to friends who came to the parties.

The inspector said it was accepted that the accused had recently split up with a man who was also involved in the growing of the plants. Defence solicitor, Olivia Traynor, said her client co-operated fully with gardaí and she said she was pleading guilty to cultivating the plants.

Hearing the accused is the mother of three young children, Judge Fahy said it was scandalous that she was cultivating drugs in the same house. Ms Traynor said her client was originally from Galway but her family went to live in the US when she was three. She said her client was homeless during her teens before she ended up in a relationship, which had recently ended.