Man receives suspended sentence for storage of €9,500 worth of cannabis as part of wider drugs investigation
A Dungarvan man received a two-year suspended sentence for storing 478 grams of cannabis at his home.
A Dungarvan man received a two-year suspended sentence for storing 478 grams of cannabis at his home.
John Paul O’Brien (41) of 35 Congress Hills, Dungarvan, was described as a cog in the criminal enterprise by Judge Eugene O’Kelly, at a hearing in Waterford Circuit Criminal Court.
Following a search of his premises, Gardaí discovered a bag with approximately €9,500 worth of cannabis.
O’Brien initially denied knowledge, before entering a guilty plea for the storage of drugs on May 11 2025. O’Brien accepted that his premises were used to store drugs, but not as a base to distribute from.
An associated party had previously claimed ownership of the drugs. Gardaí deemed the confession a lie and an attempt to derail the investigation.
O’Brien had one previous conviction in relation to a hoax phone call in 2015.
Defence counsel Brian Kearney BL said the discovery in O’Briens house came as part of a wider investigation into the Dungarvan drugs trade, and that O’Brien was not the sole focus of the investigation.
Mr Kearney said O’Brien felt under threat and had turned a blind eye to criminality in the process. Mr Kearney said his client was at a low risk of re-offending, and that O’Brien had not come to the Gardaí’s attention since the incident.
Judge Eugene O’Kelly reminded the court that O’Brien had provided conflicting information to Gardaí and was not forthcoming regarding his previous conviction relating to a hoax phone call.
Mr Kearney attributed O’Brien’s evasiveness to the alleged intimidation he faced by individuals higher up in the drug-dealing pyramid. O’Brien is a plumber by trade and has recently faced ill health.
Judge O’Kelly questioned O’Brien’s commitment to a sober lifestyle. O’Brien had previously told his probation officer that he had given up taking cocaine but continued to smoke cannabis.
The court heard that O’Brien claimed to have given up cannabis in the New Year, but was unable to provide clear samples.
Judge O’Kelly said O’Brien’s two-year suspended sentence would be activated if he came back before the court in breach of his sentence. For the first 12 months of his sentence, O’Brien will be under the supervision of the probation service.
