A Man who pleaded guilty to the cultivation of €180,000 worth of cannabis in a detached house in Kells, near the Ring of Kerry, has been jailed for four years at the Circuit Criminal Court in Tralee.
The man, who had worked in the kitchens of Chinese restaurants in London for 25 years, but who had very little English, was described as “ the lowest cog” in the operation.
Luu Cam Chan (50), of Park Road, Peckham, London, originally from Vietnam, had last month pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis worth more than €13,000 for sale or supply and to the cultivation of cannabis at Cahernamon, Kells, on May 24th last.
His sentencing yesterday heard how the house had been adapted for cannabis growing.
When gardaí, acting on confidential information, forced entry under warrant, they found 460 cannabis plants in four rooms.
Plants were at all stages of growth and a 24-hour operation with modern growing techniques was under way, Garda Shane Lowney told Tom Rice, prosecuting.
The windows of the house were blackened, a ventilation system, sockets and hoses were found and the operation was on a timer.
“This was 24-hour process that would be continually monitored,” the garda said.
Luu Cam Chan was the only one present in the house, the garda said.
A British national, he had arrived in Ireland a month before his arrest and had been brought into the State because of his skills and knowledge about the cultivation of cannabis, he had told gardaí.
He was to work to pay for the €20,000 of equipment in the house and then he would receive 20 per cent of the profits, the court heard.
He had little or no English and a Cantonese interpreter assisted him yesterday.
Dermot McKeown SC, defending, said his client was a divorced man with two grown-up children.
He had no previous convictions and had been working for 25 years in the kitchens of Chinese restaurants in London earning £40 a week. He had no money and he was the lowest cog in the wheel, Mr McKeown said.
Judge Carroll Moran noted his guilty plea, his co-operation with the Garda, the fact he was a poor man, a foreigner with very poor English, remarking this was not unusual if a person lived in their own community.
Judge Moran imposed a sentence of four years, backdated to May 24th when he was taken into custody.
“He was a small cog in the operation and he was left to face the music,” the judge added.
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/1110/1224283026174.html
The man, who had worked in the kitchens of Chinese restaurants in London for 25 years, but who had very little English, was described as “ the lowest cog” in the operation.
Luu Cam Chan (50), of Park Road, Peckham, London, originally from Vietnam, had last month pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis worth more than €13,000 for sale or supply and to the cultivation of cannabis at Cahernamon, Kells, on May 24th last.
His sentencing yesterday heard how the house had been adapted for cannabis growing.
When gardaí, acting on confidential information, forced entry under warrant, they found 460 cannabis plants in four rooms.
Plants were at all stages of growth and a 24-hour operation with modern growing techniques was under way, Garda Shane Lowney told Tom Rice, prosecuting.
The windows of the house were blackened, a ventilation system, sockets and hoses were found and the operation was on a timer.
“This was 24-hour process that would be continually monitored,” the garda said.
Luu Cam Chan was the only one present in the house, the garda said.
A British national, he had arrived in Ireland a month before his arrest and had been brought into the State because of his skills and knowledge about the cultivation of cannabis, he had told gardaí.
He was to work to pay for the €20,000 of equipment in the house and then he would receive 20 per cent of the profits, the court heard.
He had little or no English and a Cantonese interpreter assisted him yesterday.
Dermot McKeown SC, defending, said his client was a divorced man with two grown-up children.
He had no previous convictions and had been working for 25 years in the kitchens of Chinese restaurants in London earning £40 a week. He had no money and he was the lowest cog in the wheel, Mr McKeown said.
Judge Carroll Moran noted his guilty plea, his co-operation with the Garda, the fact he was a poor man, a foreigner with very poor English, remarking this was not unusual if a person lived in their own community.
Judge Moran imposed a sentence of four years, backdated to May 24th when he was taken into custody.
“He was a small cog in the operation and he was left to face the music,” the judge added.
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/1110/1224283026174.html
