Man who was dealing drugs has 'turned life around'
The defendant pleaded guilty at Castlebar Circuit Criminal Court.
A drunk driver was caught with a large amount of cannabis.
Ernest Aschmann, aged 39, of The Meadows, Castlerea, Co Roscommon, pleaded guilty at Castlebar Circuit Criminal Court to possession of drugs for sale or supply and drink driving.
The court was told that gardaí received a report at 7.20pm on October 3, 2023, that a drunk male was calling to houses in the Rathclune estate in Kiltimagh. Aschmann told one resident he was looking for his friend and a house party.
Garda Noel Folan spotted a blue VW Polo being driven erratically in the estate by the accused. He stopped the vehicle and got a smell of alcohol and cannabis from Aschmann and the car.
Gda Folan saw cannabis in a plastic bag on the passenger seat and a larger package was found wrapped in plastic in the boot. Just under 1kg of cannabis valued at €19,954 was seized. A urine sample gave a reading of 286mg of alcohol per 100ml of urine. The legal limit is 67mg. Aschmann has several previous convictions.
Gda Folan told the court that he has seen a “remarkable turnaround" in the defendant. The father-of-six went to university to train as an addiction counsellor and is currently working in a community centre.
Barrister Diarmuid Connolly said his client’s life was “in chaos” at the time but “redemption has occurred". He had a drug debt of €12,000 but is now drug-free.
Judge Eoin Garavan said the defendant was “not the most professional drug dealer he had come across". Noting that "a lesson had been learned", the judge imposed a two-year suspended jail term and a six-year driving ban.
