An Armagh man, Josh O’Donovan, charged with cannabis factory involvement in Gilford, has been granted bail.
He’s also accused of damaging a police van. They say he spat and kicked inside it in January. He showed up in court via video from jail. Police raised concerns about his safety.
Police said he used to live on High Street. They went there after he didn’t answer the phone. The blinds were shut, but a light was on. Nobody answered the door, and dogs were there. Someone asked police to care for the dogs.
Police climbed over the back wall and entered the house through the back door. It was unlocked, and nobody was inside then. They found cannabis plants in the living room. Lamps and fans were running, plus a vent system.
Pipes went into the attic space, and a big water system sat in the landing area. It seemed to serve the plants down below. The court learned that there were about fifty plants.
In January, police went to a house and needed to remove the defendant. He told police he felt suicidal when arrested. He allegedly damaged the van on the way to the hospital.
He said he used to live in Gilford, but denied knowing about the cannabis. The dogs stayed since he moved somewhere new. He claimed he couldn’t even wire a plug. He had twenty past convictions.
His proposed bail address was no good. The judge set a £500 bail with police approval. He has a curfew and must report to police. The case gets continued until March 21.