Six years for cocaine in shower man

A man who was "drying out" cocaine valued at over €60,000 in his shower has been given a six-year sentence by Judge Patrick McCartan at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

Timothy Cooke (aged 49) pleaded guilty to the offence on the second day of his trial on the charges last March but failed some weeks later in an application to change his plea back to not guilty.

Cooke, of Kilkiernan Road, Cabra, pleaded guilty to possession of the drugs for sale or supply at his home on August 28, 2007.

Judge McCartan said taking into account Cooke’s age, personal circumstances and lack of previous convictions he felt the mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years imprisonment would be unjust.

He imposed a six-year sentence with the final two years suspended and ordered the destruction of the drugs.

Sergeant Tim McCarthy told Mr Fergal Foley BL, prosecuting, that gardaí acting on confidential information found four blocks of cocaine in the shower tray of a bathroom in an extension of Cooke’s home.

Cooke told gardaí that he was to get about €200 for drying out the damaged cocaine for criminals but gave no further assistance.

Mr Foley told Judge McCartan that Cooke had pleaded guilty on day two of his trial following a failed application to have the garda search warrent deemed invalid. Cooke applied in June to resile from his guilty plea but this was rejected on a hearing date by Judge McCartan following submissions from both sides.

Defence solicitor, Mr Timothy McEniry, submitted his client had no previous convictions and continues to protest his innocence.