A man who is estimated to have sold cannabis with a street value of £1 million walked free from a court in Co Galway yesterday.
Mr William Federick Scrivens (42), of Lissbrien, Derrybrien, Co Galway, was told by Judge Al O'Dea at Gort District Court that he was not going to jail because he had rehabilitated himself. He fined him £100.
Sentencing had been adjourned from the same court last November where gardai told of a drug-dealing operation carried out by Shrivens from a two-bedroomed cottage rented by him from Galway County Council.
Gardai estimated he had sold cannabis with a street value of £1 million from the cottage over an 18-month period.
Scrivens, a father of four who was born in London, admitted being a former heroin addict and a drug user for 28 years. He told gardai how, in the space of 18 months, he had supplied Galway drug-dealers with about 100 kilos of hash and 10 kilos of cannabis grass.
Last November, he admitted possessing cannabis plant material at his home for the purpose of selling or supplying to others.
A Garda witness told how well-known drug-dealers from Galway had been seen coming and going from the cottage during a two months' surveillance operation by the Garda Drugs Unit.
In court yesterday, Scrivens's solicitor, Mr Sean Acton, said his client had changed his ways and had no material wealth or assets from his drug-dealing.
Supt Michael Curley said he accepted that Scrivens seemed to have changed his ways and was no longer involved in drug-dealing. However, he pointed out that he had been dealing for 18 to 24 months and had sold on £1m worth of cannabis which was "an enormous amount".
Having considered a report on the accused frm the court probation officer, Judge O'Dea said Scrivens didn't seem to have any proceeds left from his drug-dealing and in view of the fact that he had rehabilitated himself without any cost to the State, he would not impose a prison term.
The judge fined him £100 and warned him there would be more serious consequences if he became involved in drug-dealing again.
When pressed by Supt Curley to consider imposing a suspended jail sentence because of the seriousness of the case, Judge O'Dea said he would leave his order stand but added that the accused would be "a marked man for some time to come".