Drug dealer John Heaphy laid to rest with floral tribute describing him as 'The Boss'

Cork drug dealer John Heaphy was laid to rest today, with a floral tribute on a 4x4 describing him as 'The Boss'.

The licence plate on the vehicle also carried his nickname, Chassy.

Mr Heaphy died while serving a 10-year sentence for dealing heroin. He passed away last week after a lengthy illness.

He was serving a sentence imposed in November 2015 after €37,000 worth of heroin was seized by gardaí in an operation in February 2014.

He had received palliative care in hospital in the last weeks of his life.

Cork Circuit Court heard in November 2015 that Heaphy was arrested after gardaí, acting on intelligence, set up a surveillance operation at Halfway, Rathduff.

They approached a 4x4 vehicle that crashed when trying to leave the scene.

Mr Heaphy was in the vehicle with another person.

He later admitted bringing the package of heroin to Cork that day.

He also pleaded guilty to a separate charge of burning seven cars in residential areas of Fair Hill in May 2014.

In 2008, Mr Heaphy was sentenced to 12 years, with seven years suspended, after being caught with a jar of ecstasy tablets worth €47,000 in a field in Rathpeacon in December 2007.