JUDGE WARNS ECSTASY RAMPANT IN GALWAY

Date Published: 18-Jan-2008

A Circuit Court Judge said this week that Ecstasy is rampant in Galway City and illegal drugs are at the base of a huge amount of crime in the town.The Judge made his comments at Galway Circuit Criminal Court while dealing with an NUIG student who appealed a conviction imposed on him for being found in possession of one Ecstasy tablet in a city night-club.Judge Groarke was hearing the appeal of 21 year old Oisin Casey who had pleaded guilty in the District Court to being found in possession of one Ecstasy tablet at Cuba night-club on October 23 last year.Casey with a rental address at, 1 Oakwood Close, Shantalla Road, Galway, had taken one Ecstasy tablet from his friend in the toilet and was convicted of possession of the tablet and fined €250. Affirming the order of the District court Judge Groarke explained, “If I granted this appeal I would be 'rubber-stamping’ the use of drugs by young people in Galway and I’m not going to do that.”