Man in drugs trade for profit gets eight years

A CORK man who was seriously involved in the drug trade for profit was jailed for eight years yesterday.

Detective Sergeant Lar O’Brien testified at Cork Circuit Criminal Court that Alan Garland was caught with €20,000 worth of cannabis resin in Glanmire, Co Cork, in October 2009.

Garland, 25, of Rathfilode, Watergrasshill, Co Cork, pleaded guilty to a charge of possession of cannabis resin for the purpose of sale or supply at a time when the street value exceeded €13,000.

Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin imposed a 10-year sentence with the last two years suspended. He said he did not accept the submission made by defence senior counsel, Blaise O’Carroll, that the defendant had descended into the abyss as a result of family trauma.

The judge accepted from background reports that the defendant had been trying to rehabilitate himself. The eight-year sentence was backdated to November 5 2009 as he has been in custody since then.

Co-accused James Kelleher, aged 25, of 24 Corrib Lawn, Mayfield, Cork, was given a suspended three-year sentence for the same offence as the judge described his circumstances as totally exceptional and that all the background reports confirmed he could not have been the main mover in the offence.

The drugs offence was committed on October 13 2009 at The Lodge, Blossom Grove, Ballyvisteale, Glanmire, Co Cork.