Man sold 'dynamite cocaine' to undercover garda, court hears

A Clondalkin man who sold "dynamite cocaine" to an undercover garda three times during an operation specifically designed to catch street dealers has been given a two years suspended sentence.

James Doran (27) of Lealand Grove was caught during "Operation Marigold" which had been set up by the gardai to target the area around Bawnogue Shopping Centre in Clondalkin.

Garda Morag Patterson told prosecuting counsel, Mr Bernard Condon BL, that Doran approached the undercover garda there and asked him was he "looking for white" (cocaine).

When the garda replied he was, Doran returned 15 minutes later as the passenger in a Toyota Starlet car and sold him a bag of what he called "dynamite cocaine" for €100.

Doran also gave the garda a mobile phone number to call again should he be interested in buying anymore. Gardaí then followed the car and were able to identify him as the passenger.

He pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of cocaine for sale or supply on May 17, May 25 and June 8, 2006.

Gda Patterson said that when the same garda called him the following week,. Doran asked him did he want "brown or white" (heroin or cocaine). The garda agreed to buy another bag of cocaine for €100 and met Doran at an arranged meeting point 30 minutes later.

Another similar transaction took place that June where the garda again bought a €100 bag worth of cocaine.

Gda Patterson said Doran was arrested at his home on September 8, 2006. He had 26 previous convictions, 19 of which were for road traffic offences.

Gda Patterson agreed with defence counsel, Mr Dean Kelly BL, that it was the area around Bawnogue Shopping Centre in Clondalkin rather than Doran that was being targeted by "Operation Marigold".

She accepted that areas had been identified through intelligence as street dealing locations and that was where the undercover garda was waiting when Doran offered to sell him the cocaine.

Gda Patterson further accepted this was the height of his involvement. It had taken place against a background where he had significant drug problem himself and was "simply dealing to feed his own habit".

She agreed that he had not come to garda attention since and was unlikely to come before the courts again.