Gambler jailed for transporting drugs

A self-confessed gambler who was caught transporting cannabis resin in his car and had a €45,000 stash of the drug in a drawer in his bedroom has been sentenced to five years with the last three suspended.

Joseph Rogers (aged 34), who is a regular user of cannabis, said he was “fearful of the people” he was involved with and was to receive “only a few hundred euro” to transport and store the drugs.

Rogers of Beech Hill Drive in Donnybrook, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possessing cannabis resin for sale or supply in Donnybrook on April 14, 2009.

Detective Garda Alan O’Connor told Ms Karen O’Connor BL, prosecuting, that on foot of confidential information received he stopped a blue Nissan Almera in Donnybrook driven by Rogers.

Eight bars of cannabis resin weighing 1.96 kilograms were found in a cardboard box in the passenger foot well of the car.

Rogers admitted there were a further 19 bars weighing 4.62 kg of cannabis resin in the bottom drawer of a chest of drawers in his bedroom which gardaí later seized.

A single man, Rogers, who has worked for a number of years for a wholesale meat company told gardaí he used cannabis for a number of years to help him sleep and “did the drugs job for payment” as he has a gambling problem.

Mr Sean Gillane SC, defending, said Rogers made “a wrong decision” in order to fund his gambling problem.

“He has a long history of work but is prone to taking cannabis on a regular basis. He did further assist the gardaí in other matters,” said Mr Gillane.

Judge Patrick McCartan said that although it was unjust to impose the minimum sentence of 10 years, a significant sentence must be imposed as a “message has to be sent out that people like him who lend themselves to this way of illicit drugs will be punished.”

“We need to stem the flow of drugs in the city and the gardaí have to be supported in their work,” said Judge McCartan.

“I am satisfied that he has learnt a lesson and that he won’t lend himself to this way again,” he added.