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Three years for man caught with €140k in cocaine weeks after heroin bust
Summary
Barry Keating, 33, of Coolock, Dublin, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for drug offences. He pleaded guilty to possession of heroin for sale or supply at Harmonstown Road, Dublin 5, on June 29, 2016, and possession of cocaine for sale or supply at Shonvalley Apartments, Lucan, on August 8, 2016. Judge Melanie Greally imposed a four-and-a-half-year sentence, with the final 18 months suspended. The court noted Keating's 53 previous convictions, drug addiction, and difficult youth circumstances. Prosecution and defence agreed he was effectively "passed from pillar to post" after being abandoned as an infant and acted as a courier under the influence of others. Separately, Gerard Gerard Cleary, 34, pleaded guilty to possessing cocaine for sale or supply. He was sentenced to three years, with the final 18 months suspended, by Judge Karen O'Connor on December 1, 2017. Cleary cooperated with gardaí and made full admissions during interview. The cocaine involved in the Lucan incident had a street value of €138,837, while the heroin in the Harmonstown incident was valued at €16,190. Both defendants were arrested at the scene of the respective incidents.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Three years for man caught with €140k in cocaine weeks after heroin bust. Charges or matters: possession of heroin for sale or supply at Harmonstown Road, Dublin 5, on June 29, 2016; possessing the cocaine for sale or supply, was sentenced to three years with the final 18 months suspended by Judge Karen O'Connor on December 1, 2017. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- June 29, 2016 Incident
- August 8, 2016 Incident
- December 1, 2017 Incident
- 2019-02-27 Publication
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: possession of heroin for sale or supply at Harmonstown Road, Dublin 5, on June 29, 2016; possessing the cocaine for sale or supply, was sentenced to three years with the final 18 months suspended by Judge Karen O'Connor on December 1, 2017 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: At the sentence hearing, Det Gda O'Sullivan agreed with Anne-Marie Lawlor SC, defending that Keating was effectively "passed from pillar to post" after being abandoned by his mother as an infant.
Defendant
Charges: possessing the cocaine for sale or supply, was sentenced to three years with the final 18 months suspended by Judge Karen O'Connor on December 1, 2017 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: Cleary, who pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possessing the cocaine for sale or supply, was sentenced to three years with the final 18 months suspended by Judge Karen O'Connor on December 1, 2017.
Places mentioned
- Ferrycarrig Drive
- Dublin
- Dublin
- Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
- Harmonstown Road
Topics
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