Drug charge over threat to son

A MAN who is pleading guilty to a charge of dealing cocaine says he only did so to get his son out of trouble with others to whom his son owed hundreds of euros.

John McCarthy, Lacca, Ballyduff, appeared before Judge James O’Connor at Listowel District Court on Thursday charged with three counts under the provisions of the Misuse of Drugs Act: the possession of cocaine for the purposes of sale and supply against section 15 of the Act; and the unlawful possession of cocaine as well as the unlawful possession of cannabis, each contrary to section three of the Act.

The charges arise from a search of Mr McCarthy’s premises carried out by gardaí on New Year’s Eve of 2014.

Mr McCarthy also appeared on foot of a public order charge arising from his part in a ‘feud’ in Ballyduff.

Judge O’Connor heard that the defendant had 31 previous convictions, 21 of which were over public order disturbances.

Solicitor for the accused, Pádraig O’Connell, asked Judge O’Connor at the outset of the hearing not to finalise his order at Thursday’s sitting.

Mr O’Connell explained that his client had not been directly involved in the altercation that led to the public order charge on which he appeared on Thursday.

“There was a feud between the parties and it is an accepted fact that this man only got involved in the periphery of the matter at the very end of it.

On the matter of the drugs charges, Judge James O’Connor queried the nature of the scene gardaí uncovered on the date, finding - as the Judge outlined it - cocaine, cannabis, weighing scales, a list and other items amounting to ’everything a drug dealer would have’ as Judge O’Connor remarked.

Mr O’Connell said his 45-year-old client would be pleading guilty and accepted what the court had heard. He said his client would be setting out what happened and why it happened, and that the drugs were not being sold among the general public - but among the man’s friends. Gardaí concurred with this.

“He (Mr McCarthy) got involved on behalf of his son...whose life was threatened over hundreds of euros he owed...and he dealt solely with his friends,” Mr O’Connell said.

“This fellow is no angel,” Judge O’Connor remarked. “He got involved in relation to his son and threats but it wouldn’t knock much sweat off him.

“If he wants to avoid jail he is going to have to make a contribution back into society. You have 31 previous convictions and this would be 33. That’s serious,” Judge O’Connor warned Mr McCarthy. The court heard that Mr McCarthy had worked as a carpenter, but has been caring for his elderly parents for years. The case was put back until December 1 next.