Cork pensioner, 73, caught by gardaí as he was about to smoke heroin

The pensioner had been taking heroin to trreat his backache, the court heard.

 A 73-year-old pensioner was caught as he prepared to smoke heroin at Blackrock village in Cork.

When Patrick Hegarty, of Forest Hill in Midleton, appeared in Cork District Court pleading guilty to the charge of possession of Diamorphine (heroin) for his own use, his solicitor Joseph Cuddigan said: “He is somewhat older than the usual person coming before the court.”