Man started taking heroin 'to lose weight for football'

A Dublin drug addict who started taking heroin to lose weight for football has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for possession of the drug.

Darren Mason (aged 34) of Hardwick Street Flats in the north inner city pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of €46,186 worth of heroin at a house on Greencastle Avenue in Coolock on June 21, 2009.

Garda Aoife Haverty told Mr Remy Farrell BL, prosecuting, that she received a call to say two male intruders were in a house in Coolock while the owners were away on holidays.

When she arrived at the house she observed Mason running out through the back door carrying a white plastic bag.

A second male attempted to delay gardaí entering the house by saying he could not open the front door.

When gardaí finally gained entry into the house, Gda Haverty said she saw Mason in the back garden and asked him where he threw the plastic bag.

“He admitted he threw the bag which contained the heroin across into a neighbour’s garden,” Gda Haverty said.

Following a search of the neighbour’s garden, the plastic bag and drugs were recovered. Gardaí searched the house and found €3,500 in cash hidden under a cushion on the couch.

Gd Haverty said no-one took responsibility for the cash and in a follow-up search of Mason’s house no drugs or drug paraphernalia were found.

Ms Fiona Murphy BL, defending said her client is a chronic heroin addict and was caught red-handed with the drugs when gardaí arrived at the house, although she said he was “effectively a minder of the drugs”.

Gda Haverty agreed with Ms Murphy that there was no sign of a break-in at the house and said that Mason was in fact house-sitting the premises while the owners were on holidays.

“He panicked when gardaí arrived at the house because when he was told he could help himself to the drugs, he was shocked at the amount of drugs in the bag,” said Ms Murphy.

Gda Haverty further agreed with Ms Murphy that although Mason is a “cog in the machine” he is at the “lowest rung in the ladder.”

The father-of-two, who lives with his parents, has been addicted to heroin since the age of 14 when he made a “foolish and misguided attempt to lose weight to play football,” according to Ms Murphy.

“He has been engaging in drug treatment for his addiction,” added counsel.

Judge Patricia Ryan said there is exceptional circumstances in the case as the prosecution accepts that Mason was unaware of the amount of drugs involved.

She suspended the final four years of the term.