A 40-year-old Cobh man who was dealing five different kinds of drugs to clear his own €6,000 drug debt has been jailed for 18 months.

Mark Troy of The Belfry, Cobh, was sentenced to two years imprisonment but Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin suspended the last six months.

On October 2019 at The Belfry, Cobh, cocaine, cannabis, MDMA, Zopiclone and Ketamine were found at his home.

Garda Diarmuid O’Neill testified at Cork Circuit Criminal Court that gardaí obtained a warrant to search Mark Troy’s residence at The Belfry in Cobh.

They found a stash of drugs with a total value of €6,250.

The approximate values of the five various drugs found were: €1,500 cannabis; €1,600 Ketamine; €1,700 Zoplicone; €750 cocaine; and €500 MDMA.

Garda O’Neill said Mark Troy was arrested on the date of the search and questioned.

“He admitted selling and supplying for a number of months to pay off a drugs debt he had of €6,000.

“He admitted getting drugs once a week (for dealing),” Garda O’Neill said.

Since he was caught dealing drugs he was caught twice with small quantities of drugs for his own use – in May and again in November 2020.

Defence barrister, Emmet Boyle, said the defendant was residing at a friend’s house when the crime was detected and his admissions were of value to the prosecution as there were others living at the address at the time.

Mr Boyle said Mark Troy had a drug debt and had no previous drug-dealing conviction.

Judge Ó Donnabháin said: “There was a small but significant amount of each drug so there was a variety of dealing by this man.”

The judge accepted that in a case where there were multiple occupants of the house the plea of guilty by the accused was of assistance to the prosecution.