Ballybofey man caught with drugs for sale in 'hair-brained scheme'

A 'hair-brained scheme' for selling drugs went wrong for a Ballybofey man caught with €1,182 worth of cannabis/

Michael Dowd appeared in court after Gardai raided his home and found the drugs, which he was planning to sell.

Gardai raided Dowd's home at Donegal Road in Ballybofey on June 5th, 2021.

Detective Garda Michelle Kelly applied for a search warrant under the Misuse of `Drugs Act and found 74.1 grammes of cannabis as well as cash and other drugs paraphernalia.

Dowd, aged 24 years and a father-of-three, was arrested and made immediate admissions to having the drugs for sale or supply.

Dowd was accompanied by his partner when he appeared at Letterkenny District Court on Mondaay.

His solicitor, Mr Gordon Curley, told the court that his client made full admissions to the charges when they were put to him.

He said this was no "mastermind criminal enterprise" but a hair-brained scheme made up by Dowd to sell cannabis to his friends to make ends meet.

He said his partner had a job and he stayed at home minding their children and they were struggling to make ends meet.

The court was told Dowd had previous convictions for public order, criminal damage and assault but none for drugs.

Mr Curley added that it was inevitable that his client was going to be caught but that he had not come to Garda attention since this incident.

Judge Éiteáin Cunningham said she would like a Probation and Welfare Report to be carried out on Dowd to ask if community service was an option in the case.

She adjourned the case until May 8.