O’Donoghue will stand trial on March 19. Photo: VINO

Bertille O’Donoghue had pleaded not guilty to unlawful possession of cannabis with the intent to supply when he appeared in the Magistrate’s Court earlier on January 16. However, he pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of cannabis.

To this end, the defendant was fined $7,500 or 18 months in prison, and will stand trial on March 19, 2012 for the intent to supply offence.

Police found the illegal substance during a stop and search exercise on Josiah’s Bay public road on January 14. The tin was in a Victoria Secrets bag on the backseat.

According to Crown Counsel Jude Hanley, O’Donoghue along with Sherry-Ann Varlack, the driver and Rodney Rogers were stopped around 1:45 p.m. and a search began on them.

Varlack allegedly began to behave in a hostile manner and had to be restrained by an officer. Police then found a clear plastic bag containing vegetable matter in the right front pocket of her pants, to which she told officers “That’s my smoke”. The cannabis weighed 17.5 grammes.

The 25 year-old pleaded guilty to the unlawful possession of cannabis and was fined $1,500 or four months in prison by Senior Magistrate Valerie Stephens on January 16.

O’Donoghue, who was in the front seat, denied any knowledge of the 55.8 grammes but told the Magistrate that since the vehicle belonged to him that “the cannabis could not walk into the vehicle”.

Meanwhile, the Crown offered no evidence against Rogers. The trio had no lawyers.

Varlack (left) was fined $1,500 for having 17.5 grammes of cannabis. Photo: VINO