‘High on the list’ drug dealer with €80k debt gets 11 months in prison

A 25-YEAR-old man who is considered by gardaí to be very ‘high on the list of drug dealers’ in West Cork, and who has amassed a drug debt of €80,000, has been sentenced to 11 months in prison for the sale and supply of drugs.

At the Circuit Court sitting in Bandon last week, Jonathan Dennehy of 62 Market Gardens, Togher, Cork, appealed the 11-month sentence that was previously handed down to him at Bandon District Court earlier this year.

State solicitor Malachy Boohig told the court that on May 28th last year Det Gda Colin O’Mahony and David Barrett from the West Cork Divisional Drugs Unit were carrying out a surveillance operation in an area near Castle Bernard in Bandon.

‘They saw Mr Dennehy arrive and move two large bags of cocaine from there.

‘When he saw them, he tried to flee on foot and he saw him throw away one of the bags. Both bags were recovered and seized,’ said Mr Boohig.

He was later arrested and gardaí found €3,500, a ‘tick list’ and a ‘debt list’ with a combined value of €80,000 and a large quantity of deal bags were seized.

The court heard that he had made admissions to the possession and sale or supply of cocaine, and he was on bail when these offences were committed.

‘He is regarded as very high in the list of drug dealers and has 34 previous convictions, including for the possession and sale or supply of drugs.’

Barrister Mahon Corkery, instructed by solicitor Myra Dinneen, said the defendant began to get mixed up with drugs at the age of 13, starting with cannabis and then cocaine.

‘It has now changed to the abuse of prescription drugs and he is dealing with his addiction.

‘The distinguishing factor in this case is that he is now 25 years old and is someone who wants to rid himself of addiction,’ said Mr Corkery.

He said that the offences occurred in May of last year and that in April of this year the defendant had made contact with Coolmine treatment centre and has obtained residential treatment at Aiseiri in Tipperary, starting on June 14th.

‘The root cause of his offending is drugs and this is the first time he’s honestly trying to deal with his addiction,’ he added.

Mr Boohig said the defendant has admitted that he has a drug debt of €80,000, with €10,000 owed to him from people he had supplied.

‘I am concerned about the shortfall of €70,000 and how it will be paid, as he has no means.

‘Pressure will come on him to discharge €80,000.

‘I would have serious concerns about how he will raise that money,’ said Mr Boohig.

Judge Helen Boyle said she also had concerns about the defendant as it was his second time being prosecuted for the sale or supply of drugs.

She added that ‘he hadn’t learnt his lesson.’

She also said that the June 14th date for his residential treatment programme was too soon and he wouldn’t spend enough time in prison.

She said she heard no evidence that he would have to do the treatment in prison.

Judge Boyle affirmed the order of the district court, sentencing him to 11 months in prison.