Portlaoise man with 30 previous convictions receives suspended sentence

A Portlaoise man caught with close to €4,000 of cocaine and diamorphine has been given a ten-month suspended sentence.

Michael O'Brien (30), 3 Clonroosk View, Portlaoise, was charged with having drugs for sale or supply, and two counts of drug possession, at the Gandon Inn, Emo, Portlaoise, on January 19, 2020.

Sgt JJ Kirby gave evidence that on January 19 this year, at the Gandon Inn, the gardaí observed three males at a parked car.

When they gardaí approached, the accused attempted to evade them and he was observed crouching down and pulling at his clothing, as though attempting to discard something.

The accused was then searched by gardaí and nothing was found on him, but when the gardaí searched the area they recovered two plastic packages, one containing approximately 27 grams of cocaine and one containing approximately 13 grams of diamorphine.

Sgt Kirby said the total value of the drugs was around €3,832.

The accused had 30 previous convictions.

Defence, solicitor Ms Josephine Fitzpatrick said that the accused owed a drug debt at the time.

She said he has now secured work, which is a new aspect to his life.

Ms Fitzpatrick asked the court to allow him to show that this was now the end of his offending.

Judge Catherine Staines imposed a ten-month sentence, suspended for one year.

A condition of the suspension is that he must abstain from all illegal drugs.