Cork man caught with cocaine is given another chance

A 31-year-old man caught with €1,860 worth of cocaine at a flat on John Redmond Street has avoided a jail term thanks to a second bite at the cherry in court.

Judge Philip O’Leary said at Cork District Court, that even though Cian Roche was convicted of a similar offence previously, “He is going to get a second bite at the cherry.”

The judge took into consideration submissions made by solicitor Aoife Buttimer for Cian Roche who now lives at Deerpark House, Friar’s Walk.

Ms Buttimer submitted that the case dating back to February 2023. “Things have changed a lot for him since then. He was severely drug-addicted and homeless and he fell in with the wrong crowds.

“While there was a supplying of the drug it was at a very low level and only to feed his own habit — he was actually losing money. There was no tick-list or any of the trappings of drug-dealing.

“He was with the nuns in St Helen’s in Blarney for six months and he has turned his life around. He is two years clean of drugs.”

Judge O’Leary said Cian Roche could do 120 hours of community service instead of six months in prison on the charge of having cocaine for sale or supply to others.

Inspector Ray Dunne outlined the background to the offence. At 1.45 am on February 3, 2023, at John Redmond Street, gardaí arrived to investigate an incident and the owner threw the front door keys down to them from an upper window.

They went to another floor in the building where they found Cian Roche and others. They located a plastic bag with a white powder which was seized. Cian Roche accepted responsibility for this.

Forensic Science Ireland later confirmed that it tested positive for cocaine with a street value of €1,860.