A MARKETING manager caught with cocaine was given the benefit of the Probation Act and asked to pay €1,000 to the Court Poor Box.
Florian Sarges (48), of Drombeg, Glandore, appeared on a drug possession charge at Skibbereen District Court this week.
The court heard that on December 2 last, gardaí from the Divisional Drugs Unit searched his address at The Drombeg Farmyard, Glandore.
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They found five bags containing small amounts of with white powder during the search.
One bag was kept in a press in the kitchen, with another four found in the back room of the house.
Gardaí were unsure if the substance was cocaine or amphetamine and sent it for lab analysis, where it tested positive for cocaine.
The drugs were valued at €500.
The court heard that Mr Sarges admitted being a cocaine user to gardaí and that a drug test was carried out.
Mr Sarges also agreed to a voluntary interview under caution.
His solicitor, Colette McCarthy, said her client did not live in Ireland full-time but was a German national, mainly living in Berlin.
Ms McCarthy also said this was his first drugs charge before the courts and that he had elderly parents living in Hamburg.
She said that Mr Sarges showed gardaí one bag containing powder, adding he was a rare cocaine user, but friends would have been staying in the house and left their drugs there.
“He accepts that 0.2 grams were his own,” said Ms McCarthy.
She added: “He works as the head of marketing for an audio software company and travels frequently.”
The court heard that the defendant had one previous conviction for dangerous driving from Portlaoise District Court from December last, which saw him banned from driving for three years. Ms McCarthy said that no intoxicants were found in his system in relation to that incident.
“He should know a lot better than this,” said Judge John King.
He applied the Probation Act and asked Mr Sarges to pay €1,000 to the Court Poor Box.
The case was adjourned to October 27 for payment and finalisation.
The judge also issued a destruction order for the cocaine.
Ms McCarthy asked the judge to excuse Mr Sarges on his next court date.
Funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme.
