Former garda sergeant grew cannabis at his home

JUDGE DELIVERS SUSPENDED SENTENCE FOR ‘EXTREMELY SERIOUS’ OFFENCE

Wed 19 Jan 2011 at 12:36 UP DATED BY WATCHROOT NOVEMBER 2023.

A FORMER Garda sergeant from Dundalk who was involved in a passport scam 10 years ago has been given a suspended sentence for growing cannabis at his North Louth home.

Finbarr Hickey, a 52year-old grandfather, formerly of Mary Steet South but with an address at Muchgrange, Greenore, pleaded guilty to cultivating cannabis without a licence at his home on February 19th 2009.

Dundalk Circuit Court heard on Friday how Gardaí searched the premises after getting a warrant and found a ‘ reasonably sophisticated’ cannabis growing operation.

A double garage had been specially modified and sealed off with plasterboard, while an adjoining garage and separate shed were also being used for growing cannabis.

Special lights, fans and transformers were also discovered. A line of twine going across to the top of the garage was being used to dry out cannabis leaves, while a bag of dried out leaves and three lumps of resin were found in Hickey’s house.

In total, Gardaí found 20 large, 40 small and 17 cannabis shoots growing. When he was arrested and interviewed, Hickey said the entire stash and operation was his.

He said he wasn’t doing it to sell, he was doing it so he wouldn’t have to buy cannabis on the streets for himself.

Barrister Ciaran Oakes said Hickey had a ‘ long history’ of smoking cannabis but despite help from the probation service and a willingness to stop, he has found it difficult to give it up completely.

Mr. Oakes said Hickey worked in customs and excise before joining the Gardaí in 1980. He was suspended in 1998 after he pleaded guilty at the Special Criminal Court to forging passports while he was an officer.

He resigned from the force after he got out of jail in 2002. Hickey, a divorced father-of-three, was not before the court on a drugs supply charges.

He was ‘prepared to make a commitment’ to stop smoking but Mr. Oakes said this had ‘ proved an intractable problem’. He said Hickey apologised for his actions.

Judge Michael O’Shea said that as a former Garda sergeant Hickey ‘should know better than anyone else that what he was doing was wrong’.

He said the offence was ‘extremely serious’ and the venture was ‘reasonably elaborate’.

Judge O’Shea said drugs were ‘one of the greatest sources of tragedy’ in society.

But he acknowledged Hickey, who looks after his grandchildren three days a week, had not come to Garda attention since the incident, had co-operated with investigators and had pleaded guilty.

He sentenced Hickey to three years, but suspended it for four years on condition that he get in touch with the probation service before January 18th and undertakes to get the treatment the probation service recommends for his drug problem.