Not so 'lucky' man assumed identity of human trafficker
Hyacinth was sentenced at Waterford Courthouse.
A man in Waterford tried to pull the wool over Garda eyes by using another man’s identity – only he picked a man who had 43 previous convictions.
Patrick Hyacinth (39), of 306 O’Connell Court, Penrose Lane, Waterford City, was charged with possession of cocaine to the value of €1,806.
On January 4, 2024, Garda Darren O’Donovan executed a search warrant on Hyacinth’s home and discovered the quantity of cocaine, including some crack cocaine. A cash sum of €5,000 was discovered alongside the drugs in a bedside drawer.
Hyacinth returned to the flat as Gardaí were carrying out the search. Upon encountering Gardaí, he threw his set of keys out of a nearby window. He later denied throwing the keys ‘intentionally’.
Appearing by video link, Hyacinth said to Judge Eugene O’Kelly: “Judge, yes I have previous convictions but that is not me. Lucky is not my name. I only have two convictions.”
The Court established that the accused had picked the identity of someone with a ‘significantly worse criminal history’.
Lucky Osasye has 43 previous convictions and is currently serving a four and a half years prison sentence for human trafficking.
Judge Eugene O'Kelly asked the defendant: “Are you accepting that you that you were masquerading as Lucky?
“Yes Judge,” replied Hyacinth.
The defendant said that the Gardaí had 'frightened the daylights’ out of him when he encountered them at his address.
The Court heard that Hyacinth had a number of deportation orders issued against him, the last one in August 2019.
Defence counsel Brian P O’Shea said that his client was originally from Nigeria and is a father to two children living in Ireland.
Judge O’Kelly interjected: “He claimed he sought asylum from Nigeria because of sexual orientation, but he has been married several times and has two children?”
According to a probation report, Hyacinth has been deported from Ireland on "at least four occasions". A probation officer noted that he is "vague on how he gets back in".
Judge O’Kelly passed a headline sentence of four years reduced by one year in mitigation of his early guilty plea.
