Law « Thurles Information

Cannabis Grow House Located At Kennedy Park Thurles.

On Tuesday afternoon last a Cannabis Grow House was discovered in a two story terraced residential building, located at Kennedy Park, West of Thurles town.
We understand that the residence had been possibly rented to foreign nationals.

Gardaí were called to the location, when local residents in the area complained of a peculiar strong smell, being emitted from the rear of the property in question, over previous days.

On entering the property, we understand that Gardaí discovered a consignment of cannabis plants; a number of wall mounted heaters; an extractor fan; a loosely constructed electric wiring setup, with floor areas covered in black plastic.

The interior of the house we understand had been severely damaged by various installations, pertinent to the growing of Cannabis plants.

We understand that no known arrests have been made at time of going to press. A Garda press statement is expected to be released to the public shortly.

Government Publishes Review Of Policy Options for Prison & Penal Reform 2022-2024.

Plan to reduce re-offending and improve community safety
Focus on use of community sanctions
Judicial discretion to set minimum tariffs for life sentences to be introduced

The Minister for Justice, Mrs Helen McEntee TD, today announced that the government have approved the Review of Policy Options for Prison and Penal Reform 2022-2024; together with an associated action plan.

The Programme for Government 2020 contains a broad range of policies and proposals that represent a coherent approach to enhancing and sustaining a more just and safe society. Completion of this review and its approval by Government delivers on the specific Programme for Government commitment to review policy options for prison and penal reform.

Publishing the Review the Minister stated: “I am delighted to publish the Review of Policy Options for Prison and Penal Reform 2022-2024 today.

It is essential that the punishment that people receive matches the crime that they have committed. People who commit serious crimes which cause considerable harm and distress to victims, and to society as a whole, should be dealt with in a way that reflects the impact on victims and their family.

The government are committed to the principle that adequate, appropriate and proportional punishment for those who commit crime is an essential and central element of our criminal justice system, but core to our penal system is also the rehabilitation of offenders and their reintegration back in to society in order to reduce reoffending.

Reducing the overall rate of re-offending, is part of the government’s overall plan to ensure our communities are safe. This includes investment into An Garda Síochána, increasing the number of Gardaí and investing in new technologies such as body worn cameras and CCTV”.

Among the issues the review makes recommendations on, is reducing the use of short custodial sentences (especially sentences under 3 months) and exploring how the judiciary can be provided with a greater range of non-custodial sanctions. Community sanctions can play a role in addressing criminality, reducing reoffending and providing protection to the public while holding the individual accountable. Non-custodial sentences, which includes sentencing a person to undertake community service, means that a person can retain links to their own community (e.g. family connections, their job) which improves the chances that they will not re-offend.

The Minister continued: “Over the years our understanding of how educational, health and other policies can contribute to the prevention of crime and reoffending has grown.

We better understand how diverting people away from crime at the earliest possible stage has immense value in reducing crime, reducing the number of victims of crime and reducing the subsequent damage to victims and the families of offenders.

This review acknowledges that punishment alone does not prevent offending or make everyone safer. Interventions and services to promote better social behaviour, rehabilitation and end offending are necessary to drive and sustain real change.

The introduction of minimum tariffs for life sentences will ensure that judges can ensure that a convicted person will serve a minimum number of years before they are entitled to apply for parole. Judges would have to take into account aggravating and mitigating circumstances. In practice, it could mean, for example, that a judge could decide to impose a life sentence and stipulate that a minimum of 20, 25, or 30 years must be served”.

Including twenty one actions, the Review of Policy Options for Prison and Penal Reform 2022-2024 identifies six priority actions; interventions that have been identified to reduce reoffending, support desistance from offending, avoid overcrowding in prisons, and reduce reliance on custodial sentences as the primary criminal sanction except where determined necessary and proportionate to the suffering of the victim, particularly in relation to serious crimes which may result in life sentences.

These six priorities are:

To consider the incorporation of prison as a sanction of last resort in statute, in relation to people who do not pose a risk of serious harm, to reduce reoffending and overcrowding in prisons.
To develop and expand the range of community based sanctions including alternatives to imprisonment to reduce re-offending and overcrowding in prisons.
To take forward the implementation plan of the taskforce established to consider the mental health and addiction challenges of those imprisoned and primary care support on release.
To ensure that all criminal justice policy decisions are pre-assessed to determine, as far as possible, their impact across the criminal justice sector.
To establish a Penal Policy Consultative Council.
To introduce judicial discretion to set minimum tariffs for life sentences and examine the effectiveness of use of mandatory minimum sentences for certain crimes.

The Minister concluded by saying: “In many ways this is the beginning. The 21 actions recommended by this review include specific time-frames for delivery. It is my intention that over the next few years these actions will be incorporated into the relevant Justice Plan and the Implementation Oversight Group will regularly report to me on progress.

I would like to conclude by taking this opportunity to thank the cross-sectoral group. Their experience, insight, hard work and commitment were essential to realising this objective. I look forward to the positive changes their recommendations will realise across the criminal justice sector”.

Off Duty Garda Arrested On Suspicion Of Drink Driving In Tipperary.

A serving off duty member of An Garda Síochána was arrested on suspicion of drink driving on Sunday last in Co. Tipperary. The officer has since been charged and is due to appear in Clonmel court over the coming weeks.

An Garda Síochána have confirmed that “an off duty member of An Garda Siochana, stationed in the Southern Region, was arrested in Clonmel on Sunday morning, 14/8/22, on suspicion of driving under the influence of an intoxicant. That member was subsequently charged to a future sitting of Clonmel District Court”.

Prior to his arrest, at a mandatory checkpoint in Co Tipperary, he is understood to have been found to be seriously over the legal limit having failed a roadside breath test, [Same legal limit currently stands at 22 microgrames of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath].

If convicted in court the officer faces a fine of €400, as well as losing his driving licence for three consecutive years, and indeed, subject to then circumstances, may also lose his job within the Garda force.

It’s understood that the officer, who is based in the south of Ireland, was stopped at an MIT checkpoint in Clonmel, South Tipperary, on Sunday morning last.

New Garda Uniform Will Be Operational From Today.

Gardaí will show off their new uniforms, as and from today.
This promised, and now updated uniform was a key recommendation within the report on the ‘Future of Policing in Ireland’.

Picture courtesy An Garda Síochána

This will be only the third time in the force’s history that Garda uniforms has been formally updated, with all parts of the uniform for the first time, other than the cap, bearing the Garda crest, while shirts and ties are being relinquish.

The new uniforms have been delivered to approximately 13,000 members of the Garda force; bearing the rank of Garda, Sergeant and Inspector, over the past number of weeks, with quality over cost being the priority when deciding on the new designed outfits.

Previously, guideline regarding the wearing of official headwear for religious and cultural reasons had been brought up to date, thus allowing for the wearing of Turbans (Indian subcontinent), Topi skull caps (South Asia), Kufi caps (Africa/South Asia), Kippah (brimless caps traditionally worn by Jewish males) and Hijabs (Islamic head covering).

Burglaries Increase In Tipperary Over Recent Months

The dissipation of Covid-19 Garda measures, which previously saw road blocks and a higher level of public visibility on our urban landscapes, is seen as a factor in the increase in burglaries over recent months in Co. Tipperary.

Criminal gangs using high powered cars on our road have nationally has increased, with gangs of travelling criminals focusing not only on Co. Tipperary but also on Co. Limerick and in our nation’s capital; with the midland counties of Westmeath and Kildare seen as major bases for same gangs.

Recent figures released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) reveal comparisons, same which show that in the first three months of 2021 when compared with the first three months of 2022, there is a 35% increase in reported burglaries.

The huge spike in drug seizures, while correctly putting pressure on gang bosses behind drug importations, is also believed to be responsible for much of the burglary increases; as gangs have to fork out millions in advance to pay for consignments from their suppliers. Once drugs are seized by Gardaí these criminal gangs will attempt to recoup their original investment.