West Cork cocaine dealer jailed 18 months after avoiding prison for same offence

At the previous court appearance, the judge told the defendant: 'The court has given you a chance – don’t waste it.'

The court heard the defendant 'had small bags in the house which were ‘testers’ for his customers.' File picture: iStock

A West Cork cocaine dealer got a suspended jail term and a warning from the judge: “The court has given you a chance – don’t waste it,” but five months later he was caught dealing the same drug again.

Seán McCaffrey is now facing into a three-year jail term as a result of his repeated drug-dealing.

Judge Dermot Sheehan revoked the suspension on the two years at Cork Circuit Criminal Court on the older case and imposed a consecutive 18 months for the latest crime with the last six months suspended.

Detective Garda Colin O’Mahony said the defendant was caught with €4,500 worth of cocaine at his address at 28 O’Mahony Avenue, Bandon, County Cork, on October 29, 2023. That premises was searched under warrant and 65 grammes of cocaine were found in a bag concealed in a coal bunker.

Det. Garda O’Mahony said that throughout the house various drug paraphernalia were found including baggies, phones and weighing scales. The defendant told gardaí that day that he had gone back dealing drugs four weeks earlier.

“He was floating around pubs in the Bandon area three times a day. He would start conversations with random people and sell them cocaine. He had small bags in the house which were ‘testers’ for his customers.

“He would have an enduring involvement in the drugs business in West Cork,” Det. Garda O’Mahony said.

He had nine previous convictions for drug possession and three for dealing.

Defence barrister Elaine Audley asked the detective: “If he broke contact with the people he was associating with, would that help?” Det. Garda O’Mahony agreed that it would.

Ms Audley said: 

In his own words he says if he does not change his life around he is going to die. 

Back in May 2023 — five months before this cocaine dealing was detected — Seán McCaffrey was before the same court in front of Judge Catherine Staines.

Detective Garda Grainne Duggan testified about the drugs seizure at a house in Millstreet in April 2021 where the combined value of the drugs seized amounted to €6,800.

Judge Catherine Staines said on that occasion that apart from the aggravating factor of the amount of cocaine involved there were several mitigating factors and she imposed a sentence of two years which she suspended. Turning to the accused man that day, the judge said: “The court has given you a chance – don’t waste it.”