Man who threw drugs in field was acting ‘like Fr Christmas’

A MAN who was caught in possession of €3,400 worth of cannabis told a recent sitting of Clonakilty District Court that he was merely holding onto the drugs that were intended to be divided up between himself and his friends.

Stephen Cooney (32) a father of two from Westmeath told Judge John King that he was travelling from Westmeath to Skibbereen on April 21st last to purchase car parts and he could provide evidence that this was the purpose of his journey to West Cork. The court heard that Mr Cooney’s car was searched under Section 23 of the Misuse of Drugs Act when it entered a hatched area in Dunmanway. Gardai searched the vehicle and found an amount of cannabis in the central console area of the car and another amount hidden elsewhere in the car. Mr Cooney also admitted throwing a third bundle of cannabis into a nearby field. The total value was estimated at €3,400.

Judge King said that it seemed to be an awful lot of drugs to be giving to friends. He added, ‘He came all the way down to Dunmanway to give €3,400 worth of drugs to his friends. They must have thought he was Father Christmas.’

Mr Cooney said that it was a mistake to leave the drugs in the car and that they were intended for his friends in Westmeath. ‘We just got a big bit to split,’ he said.

The court heard that Mr Cooney has 20 previous convictions for a variety of offences including assault, public order offences, and threatening behaviour but no convictions on drugs charges. His most recent previous conviction was in September 2019 in Athlone.

Conrad Murphy, solicitor for Mr Cooney said that his client ‘appeared to be coming out of his troubles’. He added: ‘He has two children and he is working as a roofer and is also a welder. He plays rugby and even tells me he was named player of the year for his local club. He has admitted everything and pleaded guilty at the first opportunity. This is his sixth time coming down to deal with this matter.’ Judge King queried whether the intention was to give the drugs to friends or to sell them. He said it was a significant amount and asked if Mr Cooney was now clean, adding: ‘If he is not clean he can expect no mercy.’

Judge King requested a full probation report and a urinalysis test. He ordered Mr Cooney to appear before the court again on April 16th, 2024. He said a sufficient length of time was needed to allow for a genuinely random urinalysis test.