Rachel Allen’s son Joshua has documented his daily schedule to show his efforts to keep on track after his drug conviction.
The eldest son of the celebrity chef along with his Formula 3 brother Lucca are hoping to raise €2,000 for Co Mayo man Ian Coughlan by doing a sea swim every day this month.
Joshua has documented his cold water dips but also shared some insight into his day to help keep on track after he received a 30-month sentence for possession of more than E22,000 worth of cannabis for sale and supply in 2020. He had 15 months suspended on condition that he would be of good behaviour.
The 21-year-old, from Cork, is involved with MMA fighting, as well as stone carving. But he also runs 13KMs, practices playing piano as well as working.
Last month, Joshua said he was determined to face life “head-on” and concentrate on sport and his own small business in carving.
He is involved in Mixed Martial Arts with Cork City gym Samson Martial Arts - whom he has thanked, via an official Instagram page, for helping to turn his life around.
He said: “One of the best years I’ve had in a long time, achieved a lot more than I thought I would and enjoyed myself.
"Thank you to everyone who’s been a part of it and especially everyone (at) Samson Martial Arts and my trainer Dylan Samson for helping me turn my life around.”
He revealed that he had been at a “very low point” in his life and that if anyone had told him two years ago he would have been running his own business and fighting in amateur MMA he would have “laughed”.
He added: “I don’t like talking about it on here but this day two years ago I was in rehab at a very low point in my life, and if you told me back then that I would now be working for myself running my own small business and fighting amateur MMA I would have laughed at you.
“Still have a lot of things I have to face this year but I’m going to face them head on like I do with everything else in life.”
Joshua has to wait until April to see if he will return to prison when his appeal against a drug conviction will be heard.
He is appealing a minor drugs conviction after he was found guilty in Midleton District Court of being in possession of a small quantity of cocaine on July 10 2020 at the Pontoon in Midleton contrary to the Misuse of Drugs Act.
After a lengthy hearing last September, Judge Alec Gabbett convicted and jailed Allen for two months.
Defending lawyer Don Ryan lodged an immediate appeal and bail was granted in the case.
That conviction of possessing €280 worth of cocaine was a triggering offence which could see him return to jail to serve the remainder of a 30 month sentence imposed in Cork Circuit Criminal Court with 15 months suspended.
If his appeal against the minor conviction - for an offence which happened just a month after his prison release - is unsuccessful he will return to court in April to learn of his fate in respect of the triggering offence.
The appeal will be heard on March 15 next while the court will rule on whether to reactivate the 15 months suspended on April 26.
Allen has six previous convictions for drugs related offences all arising from a single incident which happened in August 2018 when he was nabbed by Gardai after drugs were sent to him via An Post and found at the sorting office in Portlaoise.
Gardai mounted a surveillance operation which led to the then teenager’s apprehension and appearance in the Cork Circuit Criminal Court where he was sentenced to a 15 month custodial sentence with 15 months suspended in 2020 after he pleaded guilty to possession of over €22,000 worth of cannabis for sale and supply.
