Courts / Dublin / Report

Man who bought heroin for mother as a child is jailed over cocaine bust

Summary

Gerard Cleary, 33, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to possessing nearly two kilos of cocaine for sale or supply outside his residence at Shon Valley Apartments, Lucan, Co Dublin, on August 8, 2017. Judge Karen O'Connor handed down a three-year sentence but suspended the final 18 months, resulting in an effective custody period of 18 months. The court accepted that Cleary admitted to holding the drugs under pressure from a third party to repay a €9,000 debt accrued through his own cocaine use. Analysis confirmed the packages contained 1,976 grammes of cocaine with a street value of €138,837. During sentencing, the judge considered testimonials, including a letter from Cleary's mother detailing his troubled childhood and his role as a drug purchaser for her at age ten. Defense counsel Caroline Biggs SC argued that Cleary was a functioning addict who had been coerced into this transaction and had no prior history of drug dealing. The court noted Cleary's 14 previous convictions, nine of which were road traffic offences, and his current engagement with addiction services. The matter was concluded with this suspended sentence.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Man who bought heroin for mother as a child is jailed over cocaine bust. 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:

• August 8, 2017 Incident
• 2017-12-01 Publication

Why: The court previously 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. CNI source report

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Drugs Road Traffic Stage Sentence

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Read the original CNI report