Jailed for cultivating cannabis

A judge told a man caught cultivating over €129,000 worth of cannabis plants that his claim he was only using them to make a medicinal oil for his sick cousin was “elaborate but not credible” as he jailed him for three years for the offence.

Judge John Aylmer told Aleksej Dorozinskij (44), with an address at Cedar Field Close, Donore Road, Drogheda, Co Louth, that he was growing the plants as part of a “commercial enterprise for profit” and that the court was not fooled by him.

Monaghan Circuit Court had heard how Mr Dorozinskij had been discovered cultivating dozens of cannabis plants at two separate properties, one in Castleblayney in Co Monaghan and another in Drogheda, Co Louth.

The court heard how gardaí were directed to the property at Drumcrew, Castleblayney, after the concerned landlord alerted them to a suspicious and odd aroma coming from the home.

Under warrant, officers searched the home, which the court heard had lot of cables going into it, had some of its plumbing altered, vents in the bathroom closed off and holes made in the ceiling.

There was also an outhouse with lamps in it, where gardai discovered 33 small cannabis plants.

“This was being used as a nursery for smaller plants with the house being used as the growhouse for larger ones,” prosecuting barrister Frank Martin, BL, told the court.

Garda Corr of Castleblayney Garda Station also told the court that, on further inspection, officers found 33 mature cannabis plants in a large transport van at the property.

A search of the cupboards inside the home uncovered a further 1,058 grammes of vacuum packed cannabis, with 10g of cannabis herb found in a red lunch box, 43g found in another lunch box, 75g in a black lunch box and a further 56g in another black lunch box.

The court heard that the amount of drugs found at the property totalled €77,640.

The defendant, Aleksej Dorozinskij, took full responsibility for the plants, the court heard, but insisted to gardaí that he was only cultivating them to make an oil for his sick cousin.

After they were alerted to a second property linked to the defendant in St Teresa Cottage, Dromiskin, Co Louth, gardai uncovered a total of 65 cannabis plants at that property, and a bag of suspected vacuum packed cannabis, with it all coming to a total of €52,000.

A couple living at that property, Gentian Korumi (53) and his wife Olesia Lialko (49), were also arrested and charged with allowing their home to be used for the cultivation of cannabis.

Addressing Dorozinskij, who had brought his sick cousin in a wheelchair into court with him, Judge Aylmer said it was “very elaborate bringing his cousin into court with him, but not credible”.

Judge Aylmer advised the defendant that being found guilty of the possession of drugs for sale or supply greater than €13,000 had a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

He said one aggravating factor was that the defendant had received a suspended sentence back in 2011 after being found guilty of making his property available for the cultivation of cannabis.

“At that stage you ought to have learned your lesson,” Judge Aylmer said.

He added: “I do not believe for one second this was for your ill cousin.

“It was a commercial enterprise for profit, the court is not fooled.”

Judge Aylmer jailed the defendant for four years, with the final 12 months suspended.

In relation to Gentian Korumi and Olesia Lialko, Judge Aylmer said they were very much under the influence of Dorozinskij and that their offence was one of “turning a blind eye” by making their home available for the cultivation of cannabis.

He said their offence was at the lower end of the scale, and ordered that they complete 240 hours of community service each, in lieu of a 12 month prison sentence.