Alan Cox jailed for heroin stash in Henry Hoover

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Alan Cox was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 22 March 2021 to six years in prison, with the final two years suspended. He pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis and diamorphine at his home in Ashwood Park, Clondalkin, Dublin, on 22 July 2019. The proceedings were reported on 22 March 2021.

Gardaí found heroin in a Henry vacuum cleaner in a garden shed, as well as cannabis and items including weighing scales, cash and gloves. The diamorphine weighed 817.17g and was valued at €114,478; the cannabis was valued at €1,400. Cox’s DNA was found on the gloves. In interview, he said he owned the cannabis and nothing else.

Cox told gardaí he was holding the drugs to cancel a drug debt. The court heard that he feared for his own and his family’s safety when asked to store them. Garda Ciaran O'Neill believed Cox’s involvement was more than holding the drugs. When Judge Pauline Codd asked whether it was fair to say Cox was in fear, the garda said it was difficult to say because Cox knew the people involved “pretty well”.

Judge Codd said the evidence suggested Cox was actively dealing and part of the distribution chain, while accepting that he had an addiction at the time. She noted that he had addressed his drug issues and that a probation report assessed him at moderate risk of reoffending. The suspended portion was subject to strict conditions, including engagement with the Probation Service for two years after release.