Jail warning for man after fourth drugs offence

And the judge last Thursday at Banbridge Magistrates Court warned him he if appeared again for a similar offence he would be going to jail.

Kenneth George Doolan, The Poplars, Donaghcloney, admitted possession of a class B drug on February 15 this year. He was fined £500 and sentenced to four months in prison, suspended for two years.

The court heard that police received a call to move a car from a house in the Blackskull area. There was a strong smell of cannabis in the car and a search uncovered a small quantity of cannabis which Doolan admitted belonged to him.

The offence was committed just two days after he had appeared in court and this was the defendant’s fourth conviction for a drugs offence.

District Judge, Mr Paul Copeland, said Doolan was in danger of being sent to jail if he persisted with this sort of conduct. He added that the defendant had ‘almost defiantly’ refused to take in what the court had to say on three previous occasions.

The judge said this was Doolan’s ‘final warning’ and if he appeared in court again for a drugs offence he would be going to jail. He pointed out that the defendant was running around in a car with just income from the state and was spending his benefit money on drugs. Imposing the suspended sentence and fine Judge Copeland said if Doolan had money to run a car and buy drugs he would have money to pay a fine.