Alan Boggans said he was calling his family from his cell

A businessman serving a sentence for possession of €1.9m worth of cannabis was twice caught with a mobile phone in his prison cell.

Alan Boggans (40) was concerned about one of his children and was calling his wife when prison officers saw him on the phone.

Dublin District Court heard he had four prior convictions for the same offence. Judge Anthony Halpin gave him a six-month suspended sentence.

Boggans, of Keelogue House, Peamount Road, Newcastle, Co Dublin pleaded guilty to two counts of unlawfully having a mobile phone in a prison.

The court heard on February this year, staff entered the cell and saw the accused with a Samsung mobile on him.

It was seized.

On July 10, an officer was carrying out a routine cell search at 8pm when he saw the accused with a mobile phone in his hand. He threw it to the ground but it was retrieved and confiscated.

The court heard his most recent prior convictions were for having a mobile phone in prison.

"The reason for the offences was simply to contact his family," Boggans' barrister said.

He had three children, there was a "particular difficulty" with one and it was "quite worrying for him and his wife".

He was jailed in 2013 for possession of drugs with intent to sell or supply and was currently serving a "lengthy sentence".

The court heard Boggans' release date was in 2023.

He had already been disciplined by the prison authorities for having a phone and had no visits for 14 days.

He was working in the bakery in Mountjoy and had "kept himself quite busy".

The defendant had also taken a gym instruction course.

Judge Halpin imposed concurrent six-month sentences on each charge but suspended them in full for two years.