A man who claimed he had found over €20,000 worth of cannabis on a back wall at his home has been given a three-year suspended sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

Thomas O’Donnell (22) of Ballyfermot Road, Ballyfermot pleaded guilty to possession of the drugs for sale or supply at his home on June 8, 2012. He has no previous convictions and has not come to garda attention since.

Garda Michael Noone told Noel Devitt BL prosecuting that 3.34 kg of cannabis was found in a holdall in a converted shed out the back of the house. A second small amount was found in O’Donnell’s bedroom and gardaí accepted this was for his own use.

O’Donnell told gardai during an interview that he had found the drugs two weeks previously on a wall and left it in his brother’s room in the converted shed.

He insisted that he had just found the 34 slabs of cannabis and when told how much the drugs were worth he replied: “Well some fella lost €21,000 by leaving it on the wall”. The drugs were later analysed and found to be worth €20,552.88.

O’Donnell said he didn’t owe any money, didn’t have a drug debt and was not in fear of anyone.

Luigi Rea BL defending said he wanted to make clear that his client’s brother had nothing to do with the drugs and Gda Noone confirmed that he had never been charged with the offence.

Mr Rea told the court it could disregard the account O’Donnell gave to gardaí and said instead his client had agreed to hold the drugs. He was to receive a weekly allowance of cannabis for his own use as a reward.

He said his client had a recreational cannabis abuse problem at the time but has maintained a law-abiding lifestyle.

Judge Mary Ellen Ring said O’Donnell was fortunate that Gda Noone had intervened when he did and said he was also fortunate that he was not charged with a more serious offence considering the value of the drugs. She suspended the three-year sentence on strict conditions.

“If you come before me again in the next three years you will find that your luck has run out and you will go to prison,” Judge Ring told O’Donnell.