Judge warns ‘educated and privileged’ face prison for drug dealing

A District Court judge has expressed concern over the growing number of third level students appearing before her court in recent weeks for drug dealing offences and she has issued a warning they can no longer expect to remain conviction-free, just because they are students.

“What is going on at the moment with students being charged with Section 15s (drug dealing offences)?

“Don’t they know they are going to ruin their lives?  The court cannot stand back and allow students – and I’m sure their parents know this – to continue like this.

“There cannot be ‘carte blanche’ for students to act in this manner.  They are educated and privileged.  They are the people getting the opportunities and there will be no more opportunities for them to remain conviction-free,” she warned.

Judge Fahy said the students who had appeared before the court last week and again this week, had not just been found in possession of small amounts of drugs but had been found with significant amounts that were for sale or supply to others.

“What is going on in this courtroom is just coming to a head now and it is totally unacceptable,” she warned this week.

Last week, Judge Fahy dealt with three NUIG students who had been charged with dealing drugs.  One of them got a six-month prison sentence after pleading guilty to having over €4,000 worth of cannabis for sale or supply in 2016. He was also caught with €2,000 cash – the proceeds of his drug dealing business, which he admitted to Gardai was set up to fund his college lifestyle.

A chemistry student was caught with ecstasy, the veterinary drug Ketamine, cannabis and €575 cash.

Judge Fahy said he reminded her of the TV drugs series, Breaking Bad.

The third student to be dealt with last week was Jack McDonnell (23), with an address in Dun na Coiribe, who is a corporate law graduate and currently studying for his LLB.  The court heard he had signed for a package containing €1,936 worth of cannabis on May 16, 2016, knowing it contained the drug.

Customs officials alerted Gardai in Galway that a package containing cannabis had come through the postal system and both Gardai and Customs carried out a controlled delivery of the drugs to McDonnell’s address.

Gardai returned to the address moments later and found the drugs in McDonnell’s bedroom.

He pleaded guilty to having cannabis for sale or supply and to having the drug in his possession on the date in question.

His solicitor, Sean Acton, said another person had bought the drugs online and had asked his client to sign for the package.

Judge Fahy adjourned his case to last week’s court for him to provide proof of his current college status. The necessary proofs were handed into court last week.

Hearing McDonnell was averaging 67% in his exams, Judge Fahy adjourned finalisation of sentence to November and asked for a Garda behaviour report on him for that date.

Another student joined the ranks at last week’s court.

GMIT quantity surveyor student, Cian Gilvarry (20) pleaded guilty to two charges of having quantities of Ecstasy in his possession at Carbon night-club on October 28, 2016.

Security staff alerted Gardai when they discovered Gilvarry had five ecstasy tablets on him in the club that night.

He was arrested and taken back to the Garda station where a thorough search of his person revealed eight ‘deal’ bags containing a further €450 worth of the drug. Gardai carried out a follow-up search of his address at the time and found a number of other people at the property with drugs.  One of them was subsequently charged and will be appearing before the court in May.

Defence solicitor, John Martin said his client had moved in with people he didn’t know and got involved in their drugs lifestyle until he was detected.

He said his client had a promising future and was no longer involved in drugs.

Judge Fahy sentenced Gilvarry to five months in prison on the second charge and imposed a concurrent one-month sentence for the first.  She suspended both sentences for 12 months.  Leave to appeal was granted.