Guilty plea to ecstasy possession charge
MID CORK MAN CHARGED WITH POSSESSION OF OVER €40,000 WORTH OF ECSTASY IN HIS CAR TWO YEARS AGO
A 49 YEAR OLD Mid-Cork man has been remanded in custody after he pleaded guilty to possessing over €40,000 worth of ecstasy when his car was stopped and searched by gardai over two years ago.
Mark Bourke with an address at Kilbrafer, Berrings pleaded guilty at Cork Circuit Criminal Court to possession of MDMA for sale or supply at Kilmurry North, Berrings on December 5, 2014.
Det Sgt Lar O’Brien told the court that armed members of the Regional Support Unit were conducting a checkpoint at Kilmurry North at around 8.20pm on the day in question.
He said that gardai decided to search Bourke’s car on foot of the conversation that they had with hiim and they found a package with 5,000 MDMA tablets in the footwell of the front passenger seat.
Det Sgt O’Brien said that Bourke was arrested and taken to Gurranebraher Garda Station for questioning but said he knew nothing about the package and denied any knowledge of the drugs. He told gardaí that he had a problem with rats in the car but he provided no material assistance to gardai during the interview as to where the drugs came from or where they were destined for.
Det Sgt O’Brien said that Mr Bourke had a previous Section 3 conviction for simple possession of drugs while he also had a conviction from the UK for a firearms offence dating back to June 1990.
Defence counsel, Mahon Corkery BL said his client was a married father-of-three who worked doing odd jobs in the local community and his wife and children were all dependent on him. He applied for a short adjournment and explained he wanted to call a character witness for Mr Bourke but that person would not be available until later this week as they were currently abroad.
Judge Sean Ó Donnabhain said that he had no difficulty adjourning the matter to allow the character witness to return to testify for Mr Bourke and he remanded the defendant in custody until May 23.
But he pointed out that the offence was extremely serious and he warned that Mr Bourke was facing a long prison sentence, particularly in view of his distinct lack of co-operation with gardai.