Man agreed to hold drugs because his family was threatened, court hears

By Sonya McLean

A man agreed to hold over €100,000 of drugs after he was told that if he wasn’t there for “the drop” something would happen to his mother and his family home, a court has heard.

Peter Mellors (22) began to abuse cannabis to self-medicate following the diagnosis of a neurological condition, similar to multiple sclerosis, when he was 17-years-old.

The court heard that the condition can lead to episodes of blindness and occasional paralysis of his legs.

Mellors of Mourne Grove, Skerries, Dublin, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to having the drugs for sale or supply at his home on May 5, 2021.

He has no previous convictions and has not come to garda attention since.

Judge Martin Nolan handed down a four-year suspended sentence today.

Detective Garda Brian Murphy told Kate Egan BL, prosecuting that gardaí searched Mellors’ home following a tip off and found large quantities of cocaine and cannabis both in his bedroom and in the attic.

He made immediate admissions to holding the drugs and said his mother had been threatened.

Det Gda Murphy said that Mellors said he got a call from a male who threatened to harm his mother, sisters, nephews and nieces.

He said he was told “tonight there is going to be a drop” and if he was not there something would happen to his mother and house.

The detective confirmed that five kilogrammes of cannabis was found, worth €100,074 and 108 grammes of cocaine worth €7,500.

Det Gda Murphy agreed with Anne-Marie Lawlor SC defending that her client had been diagnosed with an auto-immune disease similar to multiple sclerosis and had been self medicating using both cannabis and “on occasion cocaine”.

He accepted that gardaí are satisfied that his account of being threatened was “bona fide” and that he was “put upon” to hold the drugs.

Mellors told gardaí in interview “It is an awful mistake. I am scared for my life. It would be different if I knew who was coming for me – but I don’t know who it is”.

Ms Lawlor said her client is under the care of Beaumont Hospital for his condition.

She handed in a number of letters on behalf of her client into the court.

Judge Nolan accepted that Mellors took drugs to deal with the impact of his condition but said “this was a misguided course and an error in judgement”.

He acknowledged that this was how Mellors came into contact with those who wanted him to hold the drugs.

Judge Nolan accepted that Mellors level of culpability was on the “lower end” and that he had co-operated with the gardaí, made admissions and had a serious health problem.

He sentenced Mellors to four years in prison which he suspended in full.