'Well-established' cocaine dealer in West Cork to be sentenced at end of January

The court was told Ian Murphy had "a tremendously dysfunctional background"

Gardaí told the court they found "cocaine with a street value of €5,900 underneath the accused's bed". They also found a digital weighing-scales, two mobile phones and a large number of deal bags. File picture: iStock

An Enniskeane man described as actively involved in cocaine-dealing in rural areas of West Cork will be sentenced on January 31.

Ian Murphy admitted at Cork Circuit Criminal Court that he had cocaine for sale or supply on May 12, 2020, at his home at 4 Tir na Greine, Enniskeane, County Cork.

Judge Dara Hayes commented from the prosecution evidence that the accused had been actively and involved in dealing in cocaine in his local community for profit. Against that, he had taken significant steps in his own rehabilitation.

“I am going to adjourn this to January 31. In the meantime, urinalysis reports should be made available and there should be fortnightly results between now and then. He should be under no illusion that custodial sentence remains a strong possibility,” the judge warned.

Det. Garda Colin O’Mahony said gardaí from the West Cork divisional drugs unit went to the home of Ian Murphy in Enniskeane with a warrant to carry out a search.

“I identified myself as a member of An Garda Síochána and he led us to his bedroom. There was cocaine with a street value of €5,900 underneath the bed. Also found were a digital weighing-scales, two mobile phones and a large number of deal bags as part of the drug-dealing enterprise,” Det. Garda O’Mahony said.

Murphy admitted at interview that he would collect money from others and travel to Cork to buy a quantity of cocaine which he would supply to 10 regular customers and three or four others in the area. He said he had been doing so for four months.

However, the detective said the drug unit in West Cork believed that the defendant was well established in the drug trade in West Cork for 15 years.

Ian Murphy's background

Peter O’Flynn, defence barrister, submitted that a background report on Ian Murphy referred to his complex mental health issues due to a difficult and tragic past and the fact that he started using drugs at a young age.

“He attended Bruree and completed the programme but unfortunately relapsed again. After arrest for this offence, he went back into treatment and aftercare. He is attending narcotics anonymous regularly. 

"He is holding down a full-time job, staying drug-free and attending with his addiction counsellor and remaining in aftercare. He has remained drug-free for the past 18 months. He is basically doing what he can to maintain his drug-free background. It was a tremendously dysfunctional background he grew up in,” Mr O’Flynn said.