Kilkenny man had crack cocaine for 'a bit of fun' on his birthday

A man in his forties who went to Dublin and bought drugs on his birthday had his case adjourned for a probation report at Kilkenny District Court.

Barry Young, 84 Glenvale, Castle Street, Ballyragget, Co Kilkenny, pleaded guilty to possession of drugs for personal use but denied having them in his possession for the sale and supply to others in Ballyragget on January 30, 2021.

Detective Garda Martin Power gave evidence that on the date in question he spoke to the defendant, who was a front seat passenger in a vehicle that was pulled in on the side of the road. The detective observed the defendant throwing a bag, containing 84 tablets out of a window.

The detective garda located 14 deals of heroin, with a value of €320, two deals of cocaine, four bags of cannabis herb, with a value of €242 and more tablets along with empty plastic bags and weighing scales. It was alleged that the defendant had the cannabis, heroin and Aprazolam for personal use and for sale and supply to others and that the cocaine was for his own personal use.

The defendant was arrested and charged and during interview he accepted responsibility for the drugs but not for the sale and supply of drugs.

During a garda interview Mr Young told gardaí that he loved cannabis and had previously lived in Holland.

“I moved to Holland and got a girl pregnant and stayed to raise the kid,” he said.
He also told gardaí that at that time of the offences he was using heroin everyday but just had the crack cocaine for that night for his birthday and that he used the tablets for sleeping.

Mr Young said that the six grams of heroin contained in the 14 bags was ‘to keep me going’.
“It is to do me for the week,” he added.

When gardaí put it to Mr Young that the quantity of cannabis seized was more than for personal use he said that he was ‘sick of being ripped off’. He told gardaí that he bought the drugs in Clondalkin and in Tallaght.

Detective Garda Power told the court that he has been attached to the drugs unit in Kilkenny for 22 years.

“I have never experienced this amount of drugs for personal use. I have worked in the drugs unit in Kilkenny for 22 years. This amount of drugs exceeds that which would be used for personal use. I believe that the drugs were for sale and supply,” he said adding that Mr Young had been very co-operative with the gardaí.

Solicitor Chris Hogan said that at the time his client had been asked to leave the family home and that there were a lot of items of clothing in the car.

Det Gda Power said that at the time the defendant was causing a lot of difficulties for his parents who he added are ‘very respectable people’.

Mr Hogan said that on the date in question it was his client’s birthday and both his client and his twin brother were in the car.

Mr Hogan said that at the time of the offences his client was an addict but that he was now back working and was off heroin for the past six months.

Mr Young also gave evidence in the case and said that he had been addicted to heroin for six months prior to the offence. He also told the court that at the time of the offences he had been ‘put out of the house’ and was ‘sleeping in the car’.

The defendant said that he bought the 14 bags of heroin ‘to survive’ and paid approximately €150 for it and bought the crack cocaine ‘for fun’. He also said that he paid €1 per tablet and ‘could easily take 20 tablets in a day’.

The defendant also said that he ‘never sold drugs in his life’.

“I had the weighing scales to make sure I am not getting ripped off. I am being consistently been ripped off by drug dealers. The drugs have to last for the week. For any drugs you would get a better deal in Dublin,” he added.

Mr Hogan said that his client is a man in his forties who was addicted to heroin at the time and was travelling up and down to Dublin to get his own supply for the week.

Inspector Alma Molloy said that at the time gardaí were investigating drug dealing in the Ballyragget area when they stopped the car.

“I believe that it was too much drugs for personal use and that he had them for sale and supply,” she said.

Judge Geraldine Carthy convicted the defendant of having drugs in his possession for personal use and for sale and supply to othes and said that she had ‘no doubt’ in her mind that the drugs were for sale and supply. She adjourned matters to February 7 for the preparation of a probation report.

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