A Dublin man who stored cannabis in his socks was sentenced to nine months in custody in Dublin District Court yesterday.
Pierce Byrne (23), of Hazel wood Crescent, Hartstown, Dublin, had swallowed one piece of cannabis which had fallen from his right sock during a Garda search, the court was told.
Garda Bernard Connaughton said he had put the piece of cannabis on a table after finding it during a search of the defendant at Blanchardstown Garda station on October 12th, 1997. The defendant had lunged at the table and swallowed what he then told the garda was cannabis resin. Garda Connaughton then found a piece of cannabis with a street value of about £10 in his left sock.
The court heard Byrne has had a heroin problem for the past six years and had detoxed in recent weeks while on remand in custody on other matters.
He was sentenced to nine months under the Misuse of Drugs Act for obstructing a police officer in his duty. An offence of possession of cannabis was taken into consideration.