A TRAINEE solicitor has been convicted and fined for the possession of cocaine during the Kinsale Rugby 7s at a court sitting in Bandon last week.

Conor Quane (23) of 3 Angelsea Mews, Angelsea Street in Cork City, was approached by two plain clothes Gardaí on May 5th, 2019 at the Kinsale 7s.

Detective Garda Colin O’Mahony of Bandon Garda Station told Judge James McNulty that while on patrol he came across a male with a suspicious item in his hand.

‘As we approached he through the item on the ground by his feet,’ Det Garda O’Mahony said.

‘The male identified himself as Conor Quane and I recovered a bag of cocaine from the ground.’

Conor Quane admitted to ownership of the cocaine and Det Garda O’Mahony told the court that he was cooperative and pleasant and that Quane had no previous convictions.

Solicitor Diarmuid O’Shea acting for Conor Quane said that his client is a graduate of UCC and that he was at the Kinsale 7s when someone he knew offered him the cocaine and he took it.

‘The next person Conor met was Garda O’Mahony,’ Mr O’Shea told the Court.

‘If someone had told Conor what would happen he would never have touched the bag. It is a plague on our country.’

Mr O’Shea then asked the court not to let ‘one major foolish error’ dictate the future for his client.

‘We were all young once Judge, we all did something silly,’ Mr O’Shea said.

Judge McNulty said that the court could not extend any leniency to Conor Quane. ‘He is one of the gifted, charmed and privileged generation and if he wishes to squander all he has achieved that is matter for himself,’ Judge McNulty said.

‘This generation must take the social and moral responsibility of the murderous trade that they are funding with their purchases and must also face the legal consequences.’

Judge McNulty convicted Conor Quane and fined him €1,000 with liberty to appeal should he wish with a recognisance bond set at €100, no cash required.

• On appeal, Mr Quane’s conviction was overturned at Cork Circuit Court on 1 December 2020.