Nine-year sentence for man found with €250,000 worth of drugs

A Dublin man has received a nine-year sentence with two years suspended for possessing drugs totalling more than €250,000 in separate incidents.

He pleaded guilty to possessing €243,803 of cocaine in his car on August 10, 2007 and a further €6,862 of cannabis resin near his home on September 22, 2008.

Crowe denied possessing the drugs in his garda interviews.

The garda agreed with Mr John Aylmer SC, defending with Mr Luigi Rea BL, that despite these denials during interviews his client had entered an early plea in the matter.

Mr Aylmer submitted to Judge Katherine Delahunt that his client had a €700,000 drug debt and a €15,000 contract on his life around September 2008 because of the earlier cocaine seizure.

Judge Delahunt said she acknowledged Crowe’s early pleas in both matters, his “unblemished record” and good work history prior to the offences.

She noted the “tangible threats” made to him and his family but said he had brought this “awful penalty” on himself by getting involved in the drugs trade.

The judge ordered that Crowe undergo ongoing rehabilitation in custody as directed by the probation and welfare services and remains drug free.