Seán Grehan of Stradbrook Park, Blackrock, Dublin signed a guilty plea at Ennis District Court to possessing cannabis worth €13,000 or more for sale or supply at Shannon Airport on 12 November under Section 15A of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977.[1] His counsel said he will go forward to Ennis Circuit Court on the signed plea, with the other charges against him to be struck out when the plea is affirmed there.[1] Judge Valerie Corcoran remanded Grehan in custody with consent to bail to appear at Ennis Circuit Court on 14 April.[1] Grehan has been in custody since 13 November after being remanded with consent to bail conditional on providing a €20,000 cash surety.[1] The High Court later reduced the €20,000 cash surety to €2,000.[1]
Customs officers detected Grehan, a passenger from an inbound Boston flight, with two 20kg suitcases at Shannon Airport on 12 November containing 31kg of cannabis with an estimated street value of €620,000.[1] Gardaí alleged he was due to pass the two suitcases to another person after clearing customs at Shannon Airport.[1]
He was initially charged with possessing cannabis for sale or supply at Shannon Airport on 12 November under Section 15 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977.[1] He was also initially charged with possessing cannabis on the same date and place under Section 3 of the Act.[1] Section 15A carries a mandatory minimum 10-year prison term, though a judge retains discretion to impose a lesser sentence in certain circumstances.[1] His counsel said he is a father of two children aged seven and five and had worked as a sales associate for high-end retail brands in Dublin.[1]