Buncrana chef had been using cannabis to ‘self-medicate’ his ADHD, court told

A Buncrana chef caught with €850 of cannabis had been using the substance to “self-medicate” the symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder because the prescribed medication “did not agree with him”, a court has heard.

Don McManus, of 14 Earlsfort, Buncrana, appeared before Buncrana District Court, where he admitted four separate drug-related offences.

The 37-year-old defendant pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of cannabis for the purpose of sale or supply, and two counts of simple possession of the drug.

The charges arose from a road traffic stop on Friday, February 23, 2024, at Gransha Road, Buncrana.

The court heard that members of An Garda Síochána were on mobile patrol in the area at approximately 3.20pm that afternoon, when they observed a 2004 silver Ford Fiesta commit a traffic offence by failing to indicate.

Gardaí subsequently stopped the vehicle and engaged with the driver, who was identified as Don McManus. During the interaction, officers detected what they described as a “strong smell of cannabis” coming from inside the car. Acting under Section 23 of the Misuse of Drugs Act, gardaí then conducted a search of the vehicle.

During the course of the search, cannabis was discovered in the car. Following this discovery, gardaí obtained a search warrant to search Mr McManus’ Earlsfort residence.

Prosecuting Sergeant Jim Collins told the court that, following the searches of both the vehicle and the house, Gardaí recovered cannabis with an estimated total value of €850. Of this amount, cannabis valued at approximately €200 was located at the house, while the remaining drugs were found inside the car.

The court was told that Mr McManus was fully cooperative with gardaí throughout the investigation. Sergeant Collins said the defendant made admissions regarding ownership of the drugs and did not obstruct the search process in any way.

The court also heard that Mr McManus has six previous convictions. These include convictions for drug driving, drink driving, and public order offences.

In mitigation, defence solicitor Frank Aran Murphy described the case as a “rather strange situation” before outlining a number of personal circumstances relating to his client.

He told the court that Mr McManus is a 37-year-old single father who works part-time as a chef.

Mr Murphy said that his client was diagnosed with ADHD at a very young age. According to the defence, Mr McManus had previously attempted to manage the condition through prescribed medication but found that the medication did not agree with him.

The solicitor told the court that Mr McManus had researched alternative ways of managing ADHD symptoms and came to believe that cannabis could be used as a form of self-medication. As a result, he had been using cannabis for a significant period of time.

“He tried to do the right thing and take the proper medications, but these medications didn’t agree with him. He then did some research and found out that cannabis was a method of self-medicating for ADHD,” Mr Murphy explained.

Mr Murphy said his client had been very open and forthcoming with gardaí during the investigation. He said that Mr McManus had directed the guards to where the substances were located, making no attempt to conceal the drugs and openly acknowledging their presence.

“He told them where they were located and what they were being used for. He makes no qualms about it,” he said.

The court was also told that since the incident, Mr McManus has taken steps to address his substance abuse. Mr Murphy said his client has engaged with local health and addiction services in Buncrana and has also attended services in Northern Ireland.

He added that Mr McManus has been clean and sober for more than a year and is making significant efforts to improve his circumstances.

Judge Emile Daly accepted the defendant’s guilty plea and noted the mitigation presented to the court. However, the judge remarked that the quantity of cannabis involved, valued at €850, was “quite a lot.”

Judge Daly adjourned the case for sentencing to June 11 at Buncrana District Court. She directed that the court be provided with a report from addiction counselling services and also requested evidence relating to Mr McManus’s ADHD diagnosis to be presented at the next court sitting.