Seven years for man caught with 780K of drugs at home

A Dublin man who had €780,000 worth of drugs, including €100,000 worth of heroin, at his home has been jailed for seven years.

Mark Mahony (aged 33) of Oakcourt Lawn, Palmerstown, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of the drugs for sale or supply at his home on January 17, 2013.

Garda David McGinley told Sean Guerin SC, prosecuting, that Mahony was arrested in Naas as part of a garda operation carrying out surveillance on a drugs transaction at a supermarket there.

A large amount of drugs were seized during this operation and Mahony has pleaded guilty to separate charges at Naas Circuit Criminal Court.

The court heard that after his arrest Mahony told gardaí there were more drugs at his home.

Gardaí went to this house and found heroin, cocaine, cannabis and PCP, a cheaper substitute for cocaine.

The estimated street value of all the drugs was €780,000, Garda McGinley said.

Sean Gillane SC, defending, said his client has no previous convictions and agreed to transport and hold the drugs because of a cocaine addiction.

Judge Martin Nolan said Mahony must have known from the size of the packages that this was a serious amount of drugs.