Drug-dealer jailed after gardaí find heroin and cocaine in Cork house raid

Most of the drug was found on a windowsill, but 13 deals of heroin were also found in the man's sock

Donal O’Sullivan had over €2,000 worth of heroin. File photo

Armed response gardaí assisted officers from the drug unit in Cork to carry out a search of a house at Lower Glanmire Road where they uncovered €2,800 worth of drugs – mainly heroin.

35-year-old Donal O’Sullivan of no fixed address was residing at the property at Lower Glanmire Road, Cork, at the time of the search and he pleaded guilty to his part in the joint enterprise.

O’Sullivan had 13 deals of heroin in his sock at the time. A co-accused had over €2,000 worth of the illegal drug. However, O’Sullivan accepted that he was involved in a joint enterprise with others and to that extent had responsibility for a greater volume of drugs.

Judge Olann Kelleher jailed him for 10 months at Cork District Court.

Sergeant John Kelleher outlined the background the drugs seizure at Lower Glanmire Road.

Gardaí obtained a warrant from a peace commissioner to search the property on January 27. The garda divisional drugs unit made forcible entry and were assisted by members of the armed support unit.

In the bedroom used by Donal O’Sullivan they found Diamorphine with a street value of €76 – made up in three bags. They also found two Nokia phones and a digital weighing scales with traces of the drug. They later found another phone – a Samsung, together with €140 worth of cocaine.

They located over €2,000 worth of heroin on the windowsill outside another room of the property, and they searched Donal O’Sullivan himself and found the €364 worth of heroin in his sock.

O’Sullivan had 136 previous convictions including four for having drugs for his own use.

Mitigation

Shane Collins-Daly, solicitor, said: “What happened is that gardaí entered the premises and he was there with a number of males. He went through quite a number of statements. Another male was storing the drugs on the windowsill but it is a matter of joint enterprise – common design.” 

Mr Collins-Daly said the warrant was secured on the basis of information about the activities of one of the other men in the property.

“Mr O’Sullivan is 35. He has a long-standing addiction to drugs.

“He went to England and got work and had been doing well. But when he came back he fell on homeless and other difficulties and lapsed back into addiction,” Mr Collins-Daly said.

Judge Kelleher said: “The armed response unit had to attend the scene where €2,885 worth of drugs were found. And he has a lengthy track record.”