No jail for man caught with €40,000 drug haul

A drug dealer found in possession of more than €40,000 of drugs has been given a seven-year suspended sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

David McEvoy (aged 42), of Dunsoughly Close, Finglas pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine and cannabis resin for sale or supply at the same address on December 13, 2007.

Judge Frank O’Donnell said that McEvoy was a drug dealer who was "in it for the money" and that this type of activity had a negative impact on many communities.

He suspended the entirety of the sentence on condition that McEvoy enter into a good behaviour bond for eight years and that he place himself under the supervision of the probation welfare service for 12 months.

He said that it would not be correct to impose the presumptive minimum sentence of 10 years given that the gardaí said he was "not a player of any shape or form" and that he was highly unlikely to re-offend.

Gardai found a Dunnes Stores bag full of cocaine, brown slabs of cannabis resin, a cocaine mixer, ecstasy tablets and €2,000 cash during a search of McEvoy’s home.

McEvoy told them that he intended smoking some of the cannabis slabs and selling the rest, and that the ecstasy tablets were for personal use.

He said he had been smoking a lot of cocaine and cannabis at the time but has since sought treatment for his addiction.