Cork man pleads guilty to having drugs for sale or supply on two occasions

A Cork man who pleaded guilty to possession of illegal drugs for sale or supply on two occasions has been convicted in the district court.

Sergeant Trish O’Sullivan told Macroom District Court that Tommy O’Driscoll, aged 38 and from Lower Codrum, Macroom, Co Cork, was charged with two counts of possession and two counts of possession for sale or supply in relation to two incidents in 2024.

The court heard that on August 9, 2024 a Garda patrol spotted two males sitting in a parked white Toyota car at the mart grounds in Macroom.

The two individuals — one of whom was Tommy O’Driscoll — were known to gardaí.

There was a strong smell of cannabis from inside the car and a search was carried out. Under a seat, cannabis valued at €300 was recovered and O’Driscoll was also in possession of €300 in €50 notes.

O’Driscoll admitted possession of the drugs for sale or supply.

On September 10, 2024, a warrant was obtained to search O’Driscoll’s residence. Cannabis valued at €3,500 was seized, which O’Driscoll admitted was in his possession for the purpose of sale or supply.

Defence solicitor, Frank Purcell, said O’Driscoll had a gambling addiction, which had led him to run up substantial debts and that he had been selling cannabis to pay off the debts.

Mr Purcell said that O’Driscoll’s problems had been “going on for years”, but he was now halfway through a treatment programme to deal with his gambling addiction.

The court was told that O’Driscoll also had mental-health issues and suffered from bi-polar disorder.

For the offence at the Macroom mart grounds, Judge Joanne Carroll convicted O’Driscoll of possession for sale or supply and sentenced him to 80 hours of community service, in lieu of three months in prison. For the simple possession charge, he was placed on a probation bond for 12 months.

For the offence at his residence, he was sentenced to five months in prison, suspended for two years on the sale or supply charge, and the possession charge was taken in to consideration.

Funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme.