Youghal man found guilty of having heroin for sale or supply

A YOUGHAL man fled from gardaí with €980 worth of heroin which he insisted was for his own use but now a jury has found him guilty of having the drug for the purpose of selling or supplying.

At Cork Circuit Criminal Court, the jury came back with a majority 10-2 guilty verdict in the case against David Stephens of Blackwater Heights, Youghal, Co Cork.

Garda Jason Goggin and his colleague Garda Michelle Beausang were in a patrol car driving up Cork Hill in Youghal on August 20, 2019.

“I observed a black car parked at the junction,” said Garda Goggin. “I observed him exit the car. He began to run down the hill towards the petrol station.”

Garda Goggin approached him soon afterwards at the garage and found that Stephens was acting suspiciously.

“I said I would be carrying out a search. He said he would prefer it to be done at the Garda station. He was processed in relation to the charge and brought to a cell area. He then placed his hands down into his pants. He removed a small package,” said Garda Goggin.

The man confessed to having the heroin for his own use but not for the purpose of sale or supply shortly before 7pm that evening.

He said he left home and met “the lads”. Asked who they were, he said, “no comment.” Asked who he bought the drugs from, he did not want to say, adding, “these are people you don’t mess with”.

He said it cost him €250 for 7g and that he intended to inject it over a period of two days and that none of it would be for supplying to any other party.

Asked how bad his addiction was, he replied, “crippling”.

“To be honest, my money goes full out on drugs. I don’t sell drugs, I take them. I would not give any names, I would be in fear. I tried my best in the last few years to turn my life around,” he said.

Inspector Seán Leahy said that in more than 20 years’ experience of investigating drugs cases, 6.9g of heroin would have to be used over a longer period and could not be for immediate personal use.

Defence barrister Mahon Corkery said that the accused had a heroin habit at the time which saw him using that quantity of drugs in a relatively short period.

Judge Boyle remanded the accused in custody until tomorrow for sentencing.