A young man who often came to court “like a zombie” from his addiction problems is now totally clean of drugs and benefitting from mindfulness and meditation.

The 30-year-old man whose life was “blighted by addiction” has spent five months in rehabilitation in Bruree, County Limerick, and “completely turned his life around”.

That was how solicitor, Diarmuid Kelleher, described the difficulties of Daniel Hourigan of Cork Simon Community and what the 30-year-old has been doing about those problems.

The young man faced sentencing at Cork District Court for having a knife in his possession last year and another charge of being intoxicated to such an extent that he was a danger to himself or others.

He was previously convicted of carrying knives.

Mr Kelleher said, “He has been in a lot of difficulty. 

"His life has been blighted by addiction since the age of 12. 

"He comes from a very difficult background. And it is accepted that he has caused difficulties for other people as well.

“He became homeless and fell further into the mire. He was using cannabis and anything he could get his hands on.

“He says himself that he was coming in and out of court like a zombie. But now he has spent five months in Bruree. And he is thinking rationally for the first time in his life.

“He is clean of everything for six months. He is not on methadone, he is not on alcohol. He is not even on prescription. He is doing mindfulness and meditation and he has completely turned his life around.” 

Judge Olann Kelleher said that someone carrying a knife in Cork city – particularly when they had previous convictions for the same offence – was at risk of prison.

However, the judge said he had to take account of the five months the accused had spent in residential rehabilitation.

“I will put it back until July 19. It will give him a goal. 

"I will consider a non-custodial sentence if he is in no further difficulty,” Judge Kelleher said.

Daniel Hourigan had the knife at Fr Matthew Quay, Cork, on April 27 last year. And on February 4 2022 he was intoxicated and a danger at Old Youghal Road, Cork.