Monday, 11 March 2013
Electrician caught in raid bagging cocaine
http://www.herald.ie/news/courts/electrician-caught-in-raid-bagging-cocaine-29122189.html
AN electrician who "fell on bad times" was caught in the act of bagging cocaine for sale in his bedroom when gardai raided his home.
Gerard Land (31) was jailed for six months after he admitted a drugs charge following the seizure of more than €2,000 worth of cocaine in the search.
Imposing the sentence, a judge remarked that Land had been "well into" dealing drugs when he was caught.
Land, of Earlsfort Road, Lucan, pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine with intent to sell or supply on March 7, 2012.
Sgt Mary Doherty told Blanchardstown District Court gardai searched the accused's address and found cocaine worth €2,019 in his bedroom.
They also found weighing scales, bagging equipment and bin liners.
"He was actually caught bagging it", Sgt Doherty said.
The court heard Land was now serving a sentence in the medical unit of Mountjoy Jail, with an earliest release date of January 2014.
He had worked as an electrician in the past, his solicitor Matthew Kenny said.
"He fell on bad times and fell into the company of the wrong sort of people and got involved in this type of criminality", Mr Kenny said.
Land had co-operated fully with the garda investigation, made admissions in relation to the offence and pleaded guilty at the first opportunity.
He hoped to go to a treatment centre after his release from jail.
"My observation of the case is that he was well into it", Judge David McHugh said. "The sale and supply of drugs".
He sentenced the defendant to six months imprisonment, concurrent to the sentence Land is already serving.
