A LIMERICK criminal gang forced the family of an 18-year-old man to pay compensation of about €10,000 after drugs worth half that amount were seized from him during a Garda raid.
Limerick District Court was told that Robert Corbett, Crecora Avenue, Ballinacurra, Weston, was an easy target for the gang who promised him "money and street cred" for storing just over €5,000 worth of cannabis.
John Herbert, defending, said Mr Corbett "lives in an area surrounded by some of the most notorious criminals in the city who took advantage of the fact that his father was away in hospital".
The attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) sufferer, who has pleaded guilty to possession of the cannabis and possession with intent to sell or supply, has no formal second-level education and is "highly dependent on his parents" the court heard.
"He was home alone and targeted with a carrot-and-stick approach by the gang who offered him things while also threatening his family," Mr Herbert said.
Det Garda David Nolan agreed there was "an element of duress" and said Mr Corbett had made voluntary admissions after the drug was found in a shed at the back of his house on May 3rd this year.
Det Garda Nolan confirmed that this kind of situation happens on a regular basis. Judge Tom O'Donnell canvassed a probation report and adjourned the case until November 5th.