Ballina man found guilty of possessing drugs for supply
The defendant pleaded not guilty at Castlebar Circuit Criminal Court.
A Ballina man has been found guilty of possessing cocaine and cannabis with intent to supply.
Raymond Langdon Snr of Ferran Terrace, Ballina contested the case at Castlebar Circuit Criminal Court. The court heard that Gardaí obtained a search warrant for Langdon's home on January 12, 2021, and entered the property via a rear wall.
When officers entered the house, Langdon immediately went to a press and handed over a small quantity of cannabis valued at €39.
Gardaí did not search the house itself but a search of the garage turned up a vacuum packer machine and freezer bags. Traces of suspected cannabis and cocaine were found in the garage.
Det Gda Ciaran Naughton said he believed drugs were being divided up at the location. A search of a rubbish pile at the rear of the property turned up four bags of cocaine and two bags of cannabis in a tupperware box and a digital scales. Two wraps of cocaine and cannabis were also found in a wheelie bin. The cocaine discovered totalled €1,619 and the cannabis was valued at €1,224, giving a total value of €2,844.
Defending barrister Diarmuid Connolly put it to Gda Paul Harte that the drugs found in the pile of rubbish could have been thrown over Langdon’s wall by someone else. Gda Harte said it was his opinion the drugs had been hidden.
State prosecutor Pat Reynolds asked Gda Harte if the drugs found in the wheelie bin and the items found in the garage could also have been thrown over the wall.
“It would be some throw,” the Garda replied.
Det Gda Michael Joyce was in the kitchen with the accused when the searches outside were taking place. He said Langdon told him that the area being searched was not his property.
Mr Connolly said his client is registered blind following an injury in 2011. He has hand signal perception in his right eye only and light perception in his left eye.
The barrister said the only drugs the accused admits are his is the small amount of cannabis handed over to Gardaí in his kitchen.
Mr Connolly said the vacuum pack machine and freezer bags are freely available to be purchased by anybody. No DNA or fingerprints were recovered that could link his client to the drugs found and the rear of the house was easily accessible to other people.
“Where better to hide your drugs than in the property of a blind person,” he commented.
Mr Reynolds said there could be no doubt that the drugs were all found on Langdon’s property. He said despite his visual impairment, the accused “had no difficulty in going to a cupboard and pulling out a bag of weed". Mr Connolly countered that most people could navigate rooms in their home in the dark.
A 12-person jury took 45 minutes to return a guilty verdict on all three counts. The case was adjourned for finalisation until February 20 2025 for a probation report and a report from an eye expert. Langdon has to sign on at Ballina Garda Station on a weekly basis in the interim.
