Riverstick man jailed for dealing cocaine and money-laundering

A €2,400 stash of cocaine was found at a man’s house at Riverstick on New Year’s Day, and after getting a suspended sentence for drug-dealing a few years earlier, the sentencing judge said it was unrealistic for him to expect anything other than a custodial sentence this time.

Judge David Waters imposed a seven-month sentence on Padraic Conway, aged 34, of 6 River Road apartments, Riverstick, at Cork District Court.

Sergeant David Fleming said gardaí searched the home of the accused man under warrant on January 1 this year and found cocaine with a street value of €2,400, and approximately the same amount of cash.

Both the drugs and the cash were seized and the defendant was charged with having cocaine for sale or supply on that date and money-laundering in respect of the cash, being the proceeds of crime.

Judge David Waters said: “This man was engaged in drug-dealing. And the money he had was from the business of selling drugs.”

An aggravating factor was a previous conviction he had for having drugs for sale or supply, for which he was given a suspended sentence.

Defence solicitor, Eddie Burke, said the accused man was arriving home when the gardaí appeared and he showed them upfront where the cocaine was. He also told them that there was money in his pocket, in the car and in the house. The solicitor said that Mr Conway’s own admissions about the cash were what resulted in him being charged with money-laundering.

“He explains to them that he is involved in this dealing as a result of an €8,000 debt. That was why he got into this situation. He said he was dealing to 10 people.

“He actually thanked the guards for the way that they handled their investigation,” Mr Burke said.

Judge Waters referred to the previous conviction, pointing out: “The error of thinking he could do the same thing and get the same result (a suspended sentence) but that is not going to happen.”

The judge said Padraic Conway was operating at a fairly low level but that the amount was ‘substantial enough’ and was not a minor matter.

The Director of Public Prosecutions directed that it could be dealt with at district court level but only on a plea of guilty. He was then given the seven-month sentence.