Sligo Garda’s traffic stop on seeing car’s headlight not working led to discovery of €7k worth of drugs

 • Yesterday 10:06

A father of one who was caught with drugs in his car after he was stopped by a Garda for a faulty headlight has been jailed for 18 months at Sligo Circuit Court.

Judge Keenan Johnson imposed a three year term but suspended the final eighteen months on condition that Maciej Rudnicki (30) of Upper Cecil Street, Limerick abide by certain conditions.

The defendant had pleaded guilty to charges of having cannabis for sale or supply and possession of cannabis at Bundoran Road on March 3 2021.

He also pleaded guilty to having amphetamines for sale or supply and possession of amphetamines.

And he further admitted to a charge of having a knuckle duster.

Detective Garda TJ Gallagher led by State Prosecutor Mr Leo Mulrooney BL instructed by State Solicitor Elisa McHugh, told the court that he had been on mobile patrol near Drumcliffe when he met a car with one of its headlights not working.

The garda car followed the car and stopped the vehicle. There was a strong smell of cannabis coming from the car and the accused was a passenger in the car.

A search of the boot uncovered a quantity of cannabis in a plastic bag and €780 in cash.

In the front passenger seat, a glass jar with a green substance and a white powder was found in a Tupperware box, and a knuckle duster.

The defendant was arrested and brought to Ballymote Garda Station.

The total value of the cannabis and amphetamines came to €7,239.

At interview, the defendant accepted that the drugs were his.

The defendant had been in Ireland a few years.

He told gardai he was holding the drugs and the amount that came off a drug debt was €400.

The defendant had been bringing the drugs to Letterkenny. The defendant had eight previous drugs related charges.

Mr Keith O’Grady, BL instructed by McGovern Walsh solicitors said the defendant had been conviction free for two years.

There had been no difficulties with the defendant who did not seek to deflect the blame.

The defendant told gardai that he was under duress, and he had a debt, and this was accepted by gardai.

The defendant was nothing other than at a low level and was someone who was a user.

Judge Keenan Johnson said the defendant had been caught red-handed.

Mr O’Grady said there were no pre-sentence reports.

The defendant was a Polish national and had two fractures to his arm caused by some associates.

He had been hit with a hammer as he owed them money for drugs.

The defendant had made an early plea.

Mr O’Grady asked the court to be as lenient as possible to the father of one.

Judge Johnson said aggravating factors were the damage drugs do to society as they struck at its very foundations and it was ruining lives.

The total value of the drugs came to €7,239.

The judge noted that the defendant had one previous conviction for sale and supply of drugs in 2018 of his eight previous convictions for drugs.

A mitigating factor was the early plea and gave good co-operation and his admissions were helpful.

The defendant was a father and jail would deprive him of access to his child.

The defendant had been working for the past two years.

The judge said it was a concern that the defendant had been attacked over an alleged debt and was still involved with some undesirable people.

The judge added that a person’s past can catch up with them.

Judge Johnson jailed the defendant for three years on the charge of having amphetamines for sale or supply.

The final eighteen months were suspended on condition that he enter a bond of €500 to keep the peace for three years on his release, stay drug free and give regular urine samples for analysis.

The remaining charges were taken into consideration.

The sentence was postponed for a week to allow the defendant to get his affairs in order.

He was to sign on once a day at Limerick Garda Station and the €780 seized was ordered to be given to Sligo SVP.

A destruction order was made in respect of the drugs.