Man arrested in Laois used cannabis to sleep following racist stab attack
Portlaoise District Court
THE reason why a man was using cannabis was to help him sleep following a racially motivated stabbing attack.
That’s what Andrew Dunne BL told Judge Susan Fay at Portlaoise District Court last week when his 21-year-old client, Abdul Onigbode from Roseberry Hill, Newbridge, Kildare, pleaded guilty to possessing cannabis and cocaine for his own use and to possessing cocaine for sale or for supply at Dublin Road, Portlaoise on 23 December last.
Garda Sergeant JJ Kirby told the court that gardaí stopped a car that was being driven by Mr Onigbode. When they searched the car, they found two bags of cannabis herb, five bags of cocaine and seized €260 in cash.
Mr Dunne said that his client had difficulty sleeping following medical conditions that he was diagnosed and used cannabis to help him sleep.
Asked by Judge Fay what were the medical conditions, Mr Dunne said: “He was out on the town at the time and was stabbed multiple times in October 2024, subject to a racial slur.” Mr Dunne said the reason why Mr Onigbode had cocaine in his possession at the time was for “a crowd of his friends he had fallen in with,” and he wished the money the gardaí had seized go to the court poor box.
Sgt Kirby said the money would be donated to the court poor box.
Judge Fay remanded the accused on continuing bail to 20 July next year and said that she would apply the probation act, subject to Mr Onigbode donating €490 to the court poor box and a further €260 to the Midlands Down Syndrome Centre by that date.
If not, the judge said that she would convict Mr Onigbode, who had no previous convictions, of the offences and fine him €500 on each of the charges.
