‘Misguided loyalty’ led to man having €1,400 worth of cocaine in his home, Carlow court told
Carlow Courthouse Photo: Michael O'Rourke
“MISGUIDED loyalty to friends” led to a man storing €1,400 worth of cocaine in his home, which was subsequently discovered by the gardaí, Carlow District Court heard last week. Michael O’Neill, Ballylennon, Palatine, Carlow was before the court for possessing 21 grams of cocaine and for possessing the drugs for sale or supply at Ballylennon, Palatine, Carlow on 22 February this year.
Evidence about the case had been heard at a previous court sitting when Judge Geraldine Carthy had ordered a probation report to be prepared on Mr O’Neill, such was the seriousness of the charges.
Last week, Judge Carthy noted that Mr O’Neill had said that he was only holding the cocaine for someone else and that he didn’t own the drugs. Defence solicitor Joe Farrell said that his client had agreed to mind the cocaine out of “misguided loyalty to his friends” and that after he was arrested and charged in connection with the cocaine, Mr O’Neill “now realises who his real friends are”.
He added that the probation report found that his client was at a low risk of reoffending and that the ordeal had given him “quite a fright”.
Mr Farrell then asked Judge Carthy not to impose a significant sentence on his client because he had made full admissions and because he took responsibility for what he did.
Judge Carthy, however, said that drug possession with intent was a serious offence and that she had “to consider the knock-on effects that drugs have on society”, which she sees “every day within these four walls”.
She then sentenced Mr O’Neill to nine months’ imprisonment, but suspended it in total for 12 months, during which time the defendant had to attend the Probation Service and be of good behaviour.
