Courts / Dublin / Report

Drugs defendant regularly bought heroin for mother as child, court hears

Date
2017-10-05
Stage
Sentence
Primary locality
Dublin
County
Dublin

Summary

Gerard Cleary, aged 33, pleaded guilty to possessing 1,976 g of cocaine for sale or supply outside his home in Lucan, Dublin, on 8 August 2017. He admitted holding the drugs for a few minutes before Gardaí seized them, after being instructed by a third party to keep a package for no more than a day to repay a €9,000 debt incurred through his own cocaine use. Cleary, a waste‑management engineer, claimed he was paid to hold the drugs in an unlocked car, but could not name the person who owed him or who asked him to do so. He has 14 prior convictions, including nine traffic offences, one assault and one under the Misuse of Drugs Act. The court heard he had been a functioning cocaine addict, had lost his job, and that his debt had increased dramatically. He was remanded on continuing bail to be sentenced on 16 November.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Drugs defendant regularly bought heroin for mother as child, court hears. Charges or matters: possessing nearly two kilos of cocaine for sale or supply outside his house at Shon Valley Apartments, The Grange, Lucan, Co Dublin on August 8, 2017. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

Why: At his sentence hearing today, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that Cleary had agreed to hold the drugs under pressure from a third party, in order to repay a debt accrued through his own cocaine use. Court evidence reported by CNI

Case subjects

Gerard Cleary

Convicted Person

Charges: possessing nearly two kilos of cocaine for sale or supply outside his house at Shon Valley Apartments, The Grange, Lucan, Co Dublin on August 8, 2017 (Admitted)

Plea: Guilty

Outcome: Credit: Collins) A man who bought heroin for his mother regularly when he was just a child of 10 will be sentenced next month for possessing cocaine worth almost €139,000. Judge Karen O'Connor remanded Cleary on continuing bail to be sentenced on November 16.; Judge Karen O'Connor remanded Cleary on continuing bail to be sentenced on November 16.

Places mentioned

Secondary Mention
Court Venue
  • Dublin
  • Dublin Circuit Criminal Court

Topics

Drugs Stage Sentence Violent Crime

Related court reports

Read the original CNI report

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