Courts / Dublin / Report

Construction worker turned cocaine dealer is jailed

Date
2023-02-16

Stage
Sentence

Primary locality
Lucan

County
Dublin

Summary

In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 16 February 2023, construction worker Josh Keating, aged 22, was sentenced to two years' imprisonment for possession of cocaine for sale or supply and possession of the proceeds of crime amounting to €23,950. Keating, who had no prior convictions, admitted to selling cocaine for the previous 18 months and was found with €4,200 worth of cocaine and €23,950 in cash during a Garda search of his home in Lucan. He cooperated fully with investigators, provided his mobile phone and PIN, and claimed he had been drug‑free since rehabilitation. The judge, citing Keating's lack of prior offences and good work history, imposed the custodial term, noting the mitigation was excellent but the offence warranted imprisonment. The sentence reflects the court's assessment of culpability and the profit made from the drug trade. Josh Keating pleaded guilty.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Construction worker turned cocaine dealer is jailed. Charges or matters: possession for sale or supply of cocaine and possession of the proceeds of crime in the form of €23,950 in cash at the above address on September 3, 2020. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

September 2020 Incident
September 3, 2020 Incident
2023-02-16 Publication

Case subjects

Josh Keating

Applicant

Charges: possession for sale or supply of cocaine and possession of the proceeds of crime in the form of €23,950 in cash at the above address on September 3, 2020 (Admitted)

Plea: Guilty

Outcome: Passing sentence today, Judge Martin Nolan said, "for his own reasons, this defendant was dealing drugs for about 18 months".