A FORMER landscape gardener was found with four bags of cocaine stuffed in his sock when searched by gardaí, Clonakilty District Court heard.

Gardaí stopped Edmond Bakaj (39), of Long Quay Apartments, Clonakilty, outside a town centre pub on May 5th 2024.

A search revealed that he had one bag of cocaine in his pocket, as well as €200 in cash. A further search at the garda station uncovered four more bags of cocaine stuffed in one of his socks.

He was charged with possession of drugs for sale or supply and admitted owning the drug with a street value of €500.

The accused said he had bought it for his own personal use and wanted to consume it over the May bank holiday weekend.

‘We are talking about Clonakilty during the summer months on the Sunday of a bank holiday. This is the lively, social part of Clonakilty. Drinking of alcohol was going on. And the reality of the matter is that there are illegal drugs changing hands in most parts of the country. You were there to sell cocaine,’ said Inspector O’Callaghan,

Mr Bakaj said he was a casual cocaine user and had been going through a break-up with his partner.   

Defence solicitor Colette McCarthy said: ‘It was a long weekend and he intended to use two or three bags.

He gave you an explanation about the cash. He is on social welfare payment of €200 a week, which gets paid on a Thursday.

She added: ‘There’s not sufficient evidence of this man dealing. He did not have €1,200 in cash, he had €200. There was no evidence of him having a list of people.’   

The court heard that Mr Bakaj was the father of two children, had previously worked as a landscape gardener and came to Ireland ten years ago from Albania. He had no previous drug convictions but two for driving without insurance.

Judge Joanne Carroll adjourned the case to December 2nd for a probation report.

Funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme.