Man texted mother to hide drugs during garda raid

A man who texted his mother warning her to get the "stuff" out of the hole in his mattress during a garda search for drugs and ammunition at his home has been sentenced to three years in prison.

Daniel Doyle (aged 21), told gardaí he kept the ammunition "just in case" because he felt his life was under threat due to his drug dealing and his mother was not aware the items were in the house.

Doyle, of Sillogue Road, Ballymun, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of cocaine and shotgun cartridges on two occasions; at Glasnevin Avenue on January 20, 2006 and at his home on December 8, 2006.

Garda Michael Harkin agreed with defence counsel, Mr Padraig Dwyer SC, that Doyle, was selling drugs to feed his own habit and was in fear of "well known criminals" in relation to a "protection racket" regarding drug dealing in the area.

Judge Katherine Delahunt suspended the final year of the sentence. She said she accepted that Doyle had a good work history and had been holding the drugs to pay off a debt.. She further accepted he had suffered from both depression and paranoia.

Gda Harkin told Mr Bernard Condon BL, prosecuting, that they searched Doyle’s home on foot of confidential information and found cocaine in rock form valued at €1,600, cash and 12 shot gun cartridges in a hole of the mattress in his bedroom.

Gda Harkin said gardai seized a phone during the search which had a text message from "Dano" on it which said: "Ma, the hole in the mattress get the stuff out".

Doyle told gardaí that he felt his life was under threat and he kept the ammunition "just in case someone came to the door" so he could protect his family. He said he planned to sell some of the drugs for profit.

He said that his mother did not know the items were in the house before he sent the text message.

Garda Ronan McMorrow told Mr Condon that he stopped and searched a car driven by Doyle at Glasnevin Avenue on January 20, 2006 and found shotgun cartridges, cocaine valued at €1,500 and weighing scales under the cowling of the hand brake.

Doyle, who has 16 previous convictions, told gardaí he was going to do some of the drugs himself with his friends and sell some on.

Mr Dwyer said Doyle, who works as a laborer on a building site, had been targeted by other drug dealers because he was dealing to feed his own habit. He said Doyle had been "heavily dependent on cocaine, steroids and alcohol" at the time.

He said Doyle had cooperated with gardaí and told them "I want to stop selling cocaine; I just want everything to be normal."

Mr Dwyer said Doyle had liaised with psychiatric services in relation to his addictions and depression he suffered and had maintained those links as well as receiving support from his own family.