£500 '˜space cakes' fine for footballer

AN Irish League football star caught with cocaine, '˜magic mushrooms' and cannabis '˜space cakes' at Belfast International on his way home from Amsterdam has been fined £500.
Mark ClarkeMark Clarke
Mark Clarke

Mark Clarke (27), of Springfield Road, Belfast, who started this season with Carrick Rangers, pleaded guilty to three charges at Antrim Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

He admitted fraudulently importing cocaine, Psilocybin (magic mushrooms) and herbal cannabis after the offences were detected on November 3 last year.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Three charges of possessing the drugs were withdrawn by a prosecutor who said Clarke returned from Amsterdam with his girlfriend and he was stopped and searched.

In his holdall were found two ‘space cakes’ and two joints of herbal cannabis containing 2.69 grammes of the drug along with a small bag containing 17.6 grammes of magic mushrooms.

Later a bag was found in his wallet containing 0.65 grammes of cocaine.

A defence lawyer said when stopped at the airport his client accepted he was in possession of the drugs and he made full admissions.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He said it was Clarke’s first time in Amsterdam and the drugs were a “foolish experiment”.

The lawyer said that while engaging in some of that activity might be legal in Amsterdam his client accepted bringing the drugs home in a bag was “foolish”.

The lawyer said police accepted the drugs were for Clarke’s personal use.

He added it was a “one-off” and said Clarke, who formerly worked as a tiler and now as a fryer, lives at home with his mother and has a seven-year-old son.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The lawyer said Clarke paid five Euro for the ‘space cakes’; 20 Euro for the mushrooms and claimed the cocaine was given to him.

District Judge Oonagh Mullan said possession of the drugs was “not acceptable” but said she had to give Clarke credit for his guilty plea at a very early stage.

She told the footballer she did not want to see him back before the courts again and added: “It was a foolish mistake, hopefully you have learned from it”.

Clarke formerly played for Cliftonville and Glentoran and at the time of the offences was on the books of Warrenpoint Town.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

After the offences in November last year he was still playing for Warrenpoint.

He signed for Carrick Rangers this season and has played for them this term and is listed on the club’s website as a member of their first team squad.

When he first appeared in court last week on the charges Carrick Rangers FC issued a statement on their website.

It said: “Carrick Rangers FC have commenced an internal review following revelations that were made in the press today in relation to Mark Clarke.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“Mark Clarke has not played or trained with Carrick Rangers since suffering an injury at his place of work in September 2016.

“The Board of Carrick Rangers FC would like to make clear that we do not condone any actions that tarnish our reputation or that bring Irish League football into disrepute.

“While the club’s investigation is ongoing, we will make no further comment on this matter,” the statement ended.