Joseph Rogerson jailed for four years over cocaine and heroin offences

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Joseph Rogerson was sentenced to four years in prison at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court by Judge Martin Nolan on 16 March 2023. The sentence was backdated to 8 March.

Rogerson, 73, pleaded guilty to possessing cocaine and heroin for sale or supply. The offences took place on 12 June 2005 in his car on Rock Road, Blackrock, and later at a house in Ballybrack, Dublin. The proceedings were reported on 16 March 2023.

Gardaí found heroin in his car and cocaine and heroin in his socks. Further drugs were found at his house. The cocaine and heroin seized had a combined value of €146,552. Rogerson told gardaí he had been asked to hold the drugs to pay off a gambling debt.

Defence counsel Garnet Orange SC said someone had bought Rogerson’s significant debt and used it to compel him to hold and transport drugs. The court heard there was nothing to suggest Rogerson profited from the transactions; his debt was instead being reduced as he held and delivered drugs.

Rogerson had been due for sentence in November 2006 but went to the Canary Islands. He returned to Ireland on 8 March 2023. Orange said he surrendered voluntarily to gardaí.

Judge Nolan regarded Rogerson’s failure to stay for sentence as a significant aggravating factor, but took account of his guilty plea, cooperation with gardaí and age.