Cork man caught with €43k of tobacco and cigarettes

A MAN caught with thousands of unstamped cigarettes and kilos of tobacco pouches at his home will have to do 240 hours of community service.

Judge Colin Daly made that order in the case against Paul Moore of Willowbank View, Fairhill, Cork, whose house was searched on October 17, 2023, by Revenue officers who received information of the sale or supply of tobacco products from his home.

Cigarettes which would have had a full value of €33,600 if sold legitimately through shops were discovered. Also found was 23.4kg of pouch tobacco. 

None of the seized tobacco products had the revenue stamps.

The total value of cigarettes and tobacco, if sold legitimately, would have been over €43,000, and the total loss of revenue to the State was put at just under €34,000.

Jessica Kelleher, barrister for the 44-year-old man who pleaded guilty to having the unstamped tobacco products, said that he was fully co-operative with the investigation and that this was his first offence of this kind.

“He is looking for work,” Ms Kelleher said, pleading for leniency for the accused at Cork Circuit Criminal Court.

“He has work lined up in March. He has worked previously. He used to drink to excess but now only drinks at weekends.”

Judge Colin Daly noted that the accused was co-operative with the investigation and made admissions.

“He was involved in this for his own financial gain,” said Judge Daly. “In mitigation, the personal circumstances and efforts to rehabilitate must be taken into account. The probation report is middling only, at best, where he is deemed to be a high risk of reoffending.”

The judge added that he was hesitating in giving the accused a fully suspended sentence and said there had to be some sanction.

However, the judge finalised the matter with 120 hours of community service in respect of each of the two offences admitted by Moore.