Arthritis sufferer dropping son to rave found with cannabis

A GERMAN national who was found with cannabis in the vicinity of an unofficial rave outside Castlebar claimed the cannabis was for health reasons.
The all-night rave was held in a private field in the Rusheen area outside Castlebar over two nights of the weekend August 26 and 27, 2016.
Gardaí were made aware of the events by local residents, who complained about the noise. The Gardaí subsequently set up checkpoints around the venue and obtained a search warrant for the venue and vehicles coming to the event.
Garda Nicola Dolan told last week’s sitting of Castlebar District Court that she was performing a checkpoint at Rinshinna, Castlebar, to investigate illegal drug activity on August 27, 2016. At 8.10pm, she stopped a car which had a strong smell of cannabis from it. She spoke to the driver who gave her name as Madlen Menger of Kiltimagh Road, Balla.
Garda Dolan searched Ms Menger and the occupants of the car and found cannabis worth €13.80 and cannabis resin worth €5.46 in her jacket pocket. Ms Menger admitted the drug was hers and she used it because she was sick.
Ms Menger (43), a German national with no previous convictions, told Judge Mary Devins that she has had a form of arthritis for the past six years and experiences extreme pain. She took pain killers but they had side affects to her stomach and intestine organs. As a result she tried cannabis and says it helps with the pain.
Ms Menger accepted that the drug was illegal but felt she did not have much options left. She had to wait over two years to see a specialist to deal with her sickness and did not get the right treatment in time. Ms Menger used a cane to walk while in court.
She said she has lived in Ireland for 15 years and worked but had to give up her job due to her illness and disabilities.
When asked who was in the car with her, she said her son and his friend were in the car. Garda Dolan told Judge Devins that Ms Menger was dropping off people at the rave. Ms Menger admitted she was dropping them off but denied knowing it was a rave.
Judge Devins fined her a total of €150.