Former bouncer jailed after cocaine find

A former bouncer found with almost €25,000 worth of cocaine in his car has been jailed for five years by Judge Desmond Hogan at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

Gerard O'Neill, aged 24, of Castleview Road, Clondalkin, pleaded guilty to possession of the cocaine worth a total of €24,280 on May 21, 2003 on Malahide Road, Coolock.

Damien Colgan BL, prosecuting, said gardaí, acting on confidential information, intercepted O'Neill while he was driving on the Malahide Road with a female passenger on May 21 last year.

Mr Colgan said he admitted to possession of the drugs with intent to supply but refused to give gardaí information on who had given him the drugs or where they were destined for.

It was accepted by gardaí that O'Neill was afraid of those for whom he had been working as courier.

Ms Isobel Kennedy SC, defending, said O'Neill was from a large and respectable family who continued to be supportive of him.

His involvement in the drugs trade had arisen from his own addiction to "a cocktail of drugs" which began when he was 17-18 years of age.

Judge Hogan said there were mitigating circumstances such as O'Neill's early admission of guilt; his previously good character; his fear of the individuals for whom he was acting as a drugs courier for; and his current efforts to address his addiction which had started his offending.

He suspended the last two years of the sentence in consideration of those factors with the intention of leaving O'Neill "some light at the end of the tunnel" as he tried to reform his life.