Courts / Dublin / Report

Man who stored heroin to clear debt said it would 'first and last time' he'd hold drugs

Summary

Daniel O'Connell, 42, pleaded guilty to possession of heroin for sale or supply on 8 March 2022 at his Cherry Orchard Park home. Gardaí searched the property and found a white plastic bag in an upstairs bedroom containing 113 g of diamorphine, valued at €15,904. O'Connell was not present during the search but later contacted the police, stating he was holding the drugs on behalf of a third party to reduce a €5,000 drug debt. He claimed he had been holding the heroin for two weeks, was unaware of its weight, and was threatened at the time. He said it would be the "first and clearly the last time" he would hold drugs. O'Connell has 19 prior convictions, mainly for traffic offences, and three drug offences. He has a history of addiction, has engaged in rehabilitation, and has a job offer after completing an up‑skilling programme.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Man who stored heroin to clear debt said it would 'first and last time' he'd hold drugs. Charges or matters: possession of heroin for sale or supply on March 8, 2022 at the same location. Procedural stage: hearing_or_decision

When:

• March 8, 2022 Incident
• June 4 Adjournment
• 2024-02-28 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Drugs Stage Hearing Or Decision

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Read the original CNI report