Seven months for using heroin in church car park

A seven-month jail term was imposed yesterday on a man caught in a church car park with heroin for his own use. Solicitor Diarmuid Kelleher said that, in fairness to 34-year-old Ross Pardy, of 4 Beech Road, Passage West, Co Cork, he had turned his life around completely since going into custody a year ago to commence an 18-month sentence.

Mr Kelleher said the accused had weaned himself off heroin and cleared himself of all addictions including Benzodiazepines. Pardy was on a relatively high dosage of 120ml of methadone as part of his programme to get off heroin, but he steadily reduced that and was no longer getting any methadone.

Mr Kelleher said that this was remarkable in light of a 12-year heroin addiction, which resulted from Pardy’s reaction to the sudden death of his brother in his sleep. Mr Kelleher said the accused was now very much back on track and doing very well in prison.

Judge Olann Kelleher imposed a seven-month jail term for having the heroin in his possession last year before he went into custody. The seven months will extend his overall time in jail even though he is serving 18 months.

Sergeant John Kelleher told the court: “On July 19, 2018, Garda Kellie Faul-Kelleher was on mobile patrol when she noticed Ross Pardy acting suspiciously in the car park of St Patrick’s Church, Rochestown.

“He immediately turned his back on seeing gardaí and attempted to shield his face. As a result of her observations Garda Faul-Kelleher informed him she was going to search him under the Misuse of Drugs Act.

“During the subsequent search, she located heroin in the footwell of the car. He admitted ownership of the heroin.” Pardy had two previous drug-dealing convictions and seven for having drugs for his own use.