Teenager gets nine-month sentence for possession

A Teenage drug dealer, who was caught with special wrapping material for a kilo weight package of heroin worth €200,000, has been given a nine-month sentence by Judge Ann Ryan at the Dublin Children’s Court.

The youth pleaded guilty to possessing heroin for sale or supply, at his north Dublin home, on October 16, 2006. Now aged 18, he was a juvenile at the time of the offence and when the case first came to court.

Garda Colin McHugo of Coolock Station told the court a search was carried out after information was received that drugs were being sold from the teen's home.

Some €30 worth of heroin was recovered from the youth’s bedroom. However, he added that there were exacerbating factors in the case.

“In relation to paraphernalia, weighing scales, a number of plastic bags and more importantly brown wrapping which could have held a kilo of heroin which is worth about €200,000,” he said.

He had agreed the charge related to €30 worth of heroin but added that the quantity of the brown wrapping material was also relevant. When forensically examined it was found to have traces of heroin.

The teenager had also admitted another offence for driving without a licence or insurance, for which he received a two-year road ban.

He had earlier been ordered to attend meetings with the Probation Service for a pre-sentence welfare report on him to be furnished to the court. However he did not attend any of his appointments.

The youth had claimed he forgot to go to them and in recent weeks had been remanded in custody for other alleged crimes.

Defence solicitor Michelle Finan had pleaded for more time to be given to the teenager to co-operate with the Probation Service. Since going into custody he has been drug-free and has stabilised. His father had died shortly before he started getting into trouble, she said.

Judge Ryan had said the charge was extremely serious and through his actions he had “been putting the lives of other people at risk.”

Finalising the case, she said today that he had already been given “umpteen opportunities” to work with the Probation Service to address his offending.