Dealer left country as ‘life was under threat’

A heroin dealer who served half of his 10-year sentence and had the other half suspended on condition that he would comply with the probation service directions left the country because he was under threat, it was claimed yesterday.

Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin warned the accused, John Paul Carey, that if he did not comply with the directions of the probation service, the other five years of the original sentence would be imposed.

“If he does not co-operate with the probation service, if he is not able to put this threat — real or imagined — to the side, I will jail him,” the judge warned Carey at Cork Circuit Criminal Court.

The case was adjourned for two months for the defendant to comply with probation service directions.

The probation service had the case re-entered yesterday because of Carey’s non-compliance.

He did tell the probation service he had to leave the country recently because he was under threat.

At the sentencing hearing in 2009, Judge Ó Donnabháin expressed his shock that a young man was so high up the ladder of heroin dealing in the city. He was caught with €49,000 worth of heroin at his home in Glanmire.

“What I am hearing is that this guy is a fully committed dealer and he is going on holidays to Los Angeles,” said Judge Ó Donnabháin.

“He was well up the chain of command, not just a mule. I find it exceptional you were involved so high up at such a young age.”

Carey, then aged 22, of 9 Brooklodge, Glanmire, Co Cork, got a 10-year sentence with the second half of it suspended.

Carey later pleaded guilty to having diamorphine — heroin — for sale or supply at a time when its street value exceeded €13,000 at Brooklodge, Glanmire, on Friday, September 5, 2008.