Charitable donation offered by Kildare man convicted of harbouring cocaine
GESTURE OF REMORSE
A defendant who appeared in Naas District Court agreed to pay a sum of money to a charity in order to avoid a criminal conviction.
Jake Hughes, of 15 Standhouse Rise in Newbridge, agreed to the undertaking before presiding Judge Philip O'Leary on Thursday, November 2 last.
Back in March of 2022, the court was told by gardaí that the 20-year-old had stored €2,800 worth of cocaine in his home, which was searched on foot of a garda warrant on February 19, 2022.
On the latest court date, he pleaded guilty to the offence, and gardaí informed the judge that the drugs were found in his bedroom, along with deal-bags and weighing scales.
Gardaí also said that they found messages on his phone which suggested that he was dealing cocaine.
After being told about the facts, Judge O'Leary remarked: "This is a significant amount of cocaine."
When defending solicitor Tim Kennelly asked the judge to keep the case in the District Court, the judge asked him why, which prompted Mr Kennelly to respond: "He has no previous convictions; coming to court will be enough (to shock him)."
"He is a young man with a lot going for him," Mr Kennelly added.
Mr Kennelly further told the judge that his client was dealing the drugs among his friends, and that it was not to make a profit.
"Well, he is the man before me," Judge O'Leary remarked.
Continuing his defence of Mr Hughes, Mr Kennelly said that his client previously had issues with recreational drugs, but is now sober.
"The intervention of gardaí gave him a fright; it proved to be a very sobering experience for him," he said: "And reading about his actions online also had a sobering effect on him. The case has made him very anxious."
He told the judge that his client offered €2,000 to donate to charity as a sum of remorse.
Judge O’Leary said that he would accept this and ordered him to pay the money to Naas Rugby Club by March 7, 2024.
He explained to Mr Hughes that if he makes the payment, he will apply the Probation Act.
The judge also told Mr Hughes: "I hope you don’t bother us again," to which Mr Hughes replied: "No, Judge."