ARRESTS PART OF OPERATION VARLET
UNDERCOVER GARDA OPERATION AIMED AT DRUG DEALERS
A number of people have appeared before Dundalk court following Operation Varlet, an undercover garda operation which targeted drug dealers.
It saw officers purchase small quantities of drugs from certain individuals, and resulted in them facing supply charges.
Mark Gorman (33), 188 St. Alphonsus Road, Dundalk, was given four weeks to come up with €1,000 for charity in order to have the charges struck out.
Inspector Martin Beggy said on 14 December, 2016, at St. Alphonsus Road, and again on 21 December at the Ramada Hotel, undercover members of the force purchased two €25 cannabis wraps from him.
As a result of information received, they had made contact with Gorman, who has not been before the court on charges of this nature before.
His solicitor, Frank McDonnell, said he has plans to move to family in the US. He has €300 in court.
Judge Coughlan adjourned the case to 1 November, 2017, for payment of €1,000.
‘ You can get the money from America, but you won’t be going to America with a conviction,’ the judge warned.
Sean Gorman (26), 117 College Manor, Hoeys Lane, Dundalk, was up on charges of supplying medicinal products, Zopiclone and Zimovane, at Avenue Road on 8 July, 2016; and cannabis at Townparks on 15 August, 2016.
Inspector Beggy said €25 deals were involved in each of the two cases.
He has no previous convictions for this type of offence.
‘I’ll take a grand off him in cash,’ said the judge, adjourning the matter to 1 November next for that purpose.
‘If you don’t pay, it will be 10 months in custody,’ the defendant was told.
Catriona McArdle (31), 14 Chapel Street, Dundalk, has had her case put back to 7 February, 2018, for the payment of €1,000 to charity.
She supplied the prescription drug, Zopiclone, contrary to regulations 5 & 6, at St. Leonard’s Gardens, Dundalk, on 18 October, 2016.
Paul McDonagh (30), 5 Pinewood Grove, Bay Estate, Dundalk, who has six previous convictions for drugs possession, has been sentenced to eight months imprisonment.
Bail in the event of an appeal was set at €500 cash.
He supplied €20 worth of diamorphine (heroin) at Peter Street on 7 March, 2016, and again at the same location on 23 March, 2016; and at St. Alphonsus Road on 8 September, 2016.
McDonagh also admitted supplying Alprazolam at Hazelwood Avenue, Bay Estate, on 16 May, 2016.
James O’Hanlon (33), 389 Beechmount Drive, Dundalk, has had his case adjourned to 10 January, 2018, for a probation report.
It concerns a charge of supplying diamorphine at Castletown Road on 19 October, 2016; 21 November, 2016 and 29 November, 2016.
After hearing that the defendant is a recovering addict, and on a methadone programme, the judge said he had sympathy for him.
Peter Tippins (25), 48 Cooley Park, Dundalk, has been warned he will go to jail if he ‘spits on the footpath’.
He received a 10 months suspended sentence for supplying diamorphine at Jocelyn Street on 9 March, 2016.
Gareth Ward (37), 16 Oldbridge, Toberona, has been told to comply with the probation service or go to jail for eleven months.
A recovering addict, he has five previous convictions for drugs possession.
He sold a €20 deal of diamorphine at Market Square on 7 April, 2016; and a €20 deal of Alprazolam at McDonald’s on 11 May, 2016.
The case was adjourned to 4 April, 2018, for a probation report.
James English (56), 15 Windmill Court, Mill Street, Dundalk, received a 10 months suspended sentence, for supplying €15 worth of Alprazolam at Mill Street on 22 November, 2016.
James McDonagh (25), 56 College Heights, Hoeys Lane, Dundalk, has been sentenced to eight months imprisonment, with bail for an appeal set at €400 cash.
The charges against him related to three transactions of diamorphine at Aura, St. Alphonsus Road on 12 April, 2016; Tesco Extra on 14 April, 2016 and Tesco Extra on 6 May, 2016.
An eight months sentence was imposed on John McDonagh (28), 8 Cooley Park, Dundalk.
He made three separate transactions of €20 worth of diamorphine per time, at Peter Street on 23 March, 2016; St. Alphonsus Road on 6 October, 2016 and St. Alphonsus Road again the following day.
Solicitor Frank McDonnell said his client had a problem with drugs before.
He works with his family in the UK when work is available.
Bail was set at €500 cash. Robert McKinley (26), 2 Laurel Grove, Greenacres, Dundalk, has been given until 1 November next to come up with €1,000 cash to avoid a conviction.
He was detected on three separate dates at Bar One Racing, Greenacres.
On 25 November, 2016, he supplied a €50 deal of cannabis herb, and on 6 December, 2016, €25 worth of cannabis.
He again supplied cannabis herb on 15 December, 2016.
‘I have great sympathy for him,’ Judge Coughlan remarked in respect of Daniel O’Grady (28), 27 Oakland Park, Dundalk, when putting his case back to 10 January, 2018, for a probation report.
The judge heard the accused is an addict, with one previous conviction for possession of drugs.
He sold €20 worth of diamorphine at Roden Place on 29 April, 2016.
Darren O’Hanlon (30), 497 Ashling Park, Dundalk, has been sentenced to eight months imprisonment.
The accused, a father of two, has eight previous convictions for possession of cannabis.
This mattered concerned a €20 deal of diamorphine at Peter Street on 7 March, 2016.
Solicitor, Peter Lavery said other parties were present at the time, and his client handled neither drugs or money on the occasion.
The judge said O’Hanlon is a drug dealer, ‘and all drug dealers go to jail.’
Bail for an appeal was set at €500 cash.