Ecstacy dealer gets 10 years

Drugs squad gardai in Cork foiled a plan to flood the market with ecstasy tablet last New Year's Eve and today the dealer involved has been jailed for 10 years.

Detective Inspector Tom Myers said at Cork Circuit Criminal Court that the drugs squad got a tip off that drugs were held at the home of Brendan O'Loughlin on 10 Farran Street, Blackpool, Cork, last December 31.

A search warrant was obtained and gardai went to that property where they found over 5,000 ecstasy tablets with a street value of over €70,000.

"As far as I am concerned he was caught red-handed with the drugs. He was not just a storeman, he was also a distributor.

"My information is that the majority of the drugs were for sale or supply in the pubs and clubs around Cork city that New Year's Eve night," Det Insp Myers said.

Judge Patrick J Moran said: "One can only imagine with a degree of trepidation the affect that would have on young people of Cork and in particular the havoc it would have created."

The judge noted that the legislature allowed for a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years and he imposed the 10 years on O'Loughlin.

Originally from Raheen in Limerick, the 30-year-old defendant fell foul of criminal associates there and moved to Cork nine years ago where he had become connected with one of the leading drug suppliers in the area, Det Insp Myers said.

Defence senior counsel Tom Creed said the defendant would say that he was under the influence of criminals in Limerick. He also stressed the fact that the defendant pleaded guilty.

Judge Moran said the plea had to be taken in the context of the fact that he was caught red-handed with the drugs.