Cork man jailed for three years for dealing cannabis

A Cork man in court on charges of dealing in cannabis with a street value of €21,000 claimed that he was under threat to clear another person’s debt and now he has been jailed for three years

Judge Helen Boyle said an aggravating factor in the case against Brian Collins, 51, is that he was knowingly involved in dealing drugs in Cork City.

Another aggravating factor is that in an early stage of the drugs search at his home, he attempted to dispose of drugs, but Judge Boyle noted that he did co-operate at the scene thereafter.

Judge Boyle imposed a sentence of five and a half years, with the last two and a half years suspended, at Cork Circuit Criminal Court.

Defence barrister Paula McCarthy said the accused engaged fully with the gardaí and the probation service and pleaded guilty to the charges at an early stage. Ms McCarthy, BL, said the defendant had also engaged in rehabilitation.

Search

Sergeant Nigel Desmond said Brian Collins claimed he only had a nodge of cannabis for personal use when gardaí arrived to carry out the search. However, after a thorough search of the home of Brian Collins, at Noonan Road, Cork City, gardaí located cannabis with a street value of €21,000.

Two large, clear plastic bags were found in a corner, hidden among black rubbish bags. The drugs were in the clear bags.

Initially, the defendant made no reply to gardaí, but he made full admissions afterwards to the sale or supply of drugs.

The 51-year-old’s phones were examined and messages consistent with drug-dealing were found. Ms McCarthy said the accused had accrued significant drug debts, which he was trying to pay. Ms McCarthy said he was engaging with Arbour House.

Ms McCarthy urged Judge Boyle to consider imposing an entirely suspended sentence to enable the accused to continue with his rehabilitation. Brian Collins was arraigned previously at Cork Circuit Criminal Court, where he pleaded guilty to a charge of having cannabis for sale or supply at a time when its street value exceeded €13,000, on September 19, 2020, at his home at 42 Noonan Road, Cork.

Prosecution barrister, Dermot Sheehan, applied for an order for the destruction of the drugs in the case and a forfeiture to the State of the €595 cash seized at the scene. Judge Boyle acceded to that application.