Man (28) jailed after being caught with €300k worth of cocaine

Gordon Deegan

A judge has imposed a nine-year three-month prison term on a 28-year-old west Clare man after he was caught with just under €300,000 worth of cocaine and cannabis.

At Ennis Circuit Court, Judge Francis Comerford imposed the 111-month prison sentence on Stephen Healy of The Hand, Cloonalheen East, Miltown Malbay for “repeated drug trafficking” and “offending of the highest order”.

Judge Comerford imposed a 66 month sentence for the possession of cannabis and cocaine valued at €230,470 with the intent to sell or supply on July 11th 2023 at a property at Drumatehy, Connolly, Co Clare.

Judge Comerford imposed a 45 month prison term consecutive to the drug dealing offence for a money laundering charge concerning €40,645 on the same date.

Described in court previously as a ‘typical country lad’ by his solicitor, Daragh Hassett, Mr Healy evaded capture on July 11th 2023 but was arrested by gardaí on August 13th 2023 after a second drugs swoop by gardaí on the same date where Gardai recovered €37,212 worth of cocaine and €31,568 in cannabis at a mobile home at Furoor Upper, Kilkee in west Clare.

Judge Comerford said that “these types of crime cause great harm to society”.

Judge Comerford said that Mr Healy “was holding the money for drug dealers”.

At Garda interview, Mr Healy said that he was looking after the drugs and cash as he had a drug debt to pay off.

Mr Healy - who entered guilty pleas to the charges - told the Gardai “I am ashamed and I deeply regret it”.

The offending occurred during a previous 20 month suspended sentence imposed on Mr Healy for drug dealing.

Judge Comerford said: “A very significant aggravating factor in the case is that a person who was afforded a very significant opportunity to turn away from criminality commits further offences relating to drug dealing while that suspended sentence is in place."

At the sentencing hearing, Det Sgt Dara O’Sullivan described Mr Healy as an "integral part of a drug trafficking operation that was going on in this case”.

Counsel for Mr Healy, Lorcan Connolly SC told the court that Mr Healy lived at home with his mother and received the carer’s allowance to look after his mother who requires the use of a wheelchair.

Mr Connolly said that Mr Healy is very close to his mother, who he said, has her own health difficulties.

On Mr Healy, Mr Connolly said: “That is not someone who is high up in the drugs trade. He is someone who has nothing."

Mr Connolly said that “the mobile home wasn’t his, the house wasn’t his and vehicles weren’t his” and that Mr Healy "was acting under duress" when handling the drugs and money.

Mr Connolly said Mr Healy was “previously subject to an assault by dark forces and his mother’s house was damaged”.

Mr Connolly read out extracts of a letter from a former employer of Mr Healy who said that the accused “is not a bad person but is someone who has made bad choices”.

The businessman said that Mr Healy faces a lengthy prison sentence ahead but added that he will do all he can to support him “and I will take him back into employment when he is released”.

The employer said: “I have paid thousands of euro to these horrible people to get them off Stephen’s back.”

Mr Connolly also handed in a written personal plea from Mr Healy’s mother and he described the letter as “genuine and from the heart”.

Mr Connolly said Mr Healy is a father of two young children with the youngest only born a few months ago while Mr Healy was in custody.

Mr Healy has been on remand in custody since last November.

Mr Connolly said that Mr Healy “assures me that he really wants to turn the corner and really wants to have a bright future”.

Judge Comerford backdated the sentence to last November.