Tipperary man jailed for three years having cocaine for sale or supply to feed his habit

A man who had almost €2,700 worth of cocaine for sale or supply has been jailed by Judge John Martin at Nenagh Circuit Criminal Court.

Sean Moran of 18 Cormack Drive, Nenagh, pleaded to having the drug at a location in Nenagh on January 28, 2020.

Passing sentence, Judge Martin said that he noted that Mr Moran had been dealing to feed his own habit when he was caught with cocaine valued at €2,657.

The judge said that he accepted that Mr Moran had a difficult childhood and that his mother had left the home when his father died and Mr Moran had been reared by his older sister.

He also accepted that Mr Moran abused alcohol, and was a drug user who had turned to heroin in 2019.

One of the aggravating factors Judge Martin said he would have to take into account was the fact that having the cocaine was “part of a sophisticated enterprise” and that a weighing scales and a tick list had been seized.

He said Mr Moran had always denied selling drugs and his co-operation with the gardaí had been “somewhat limited”.

The judge said that he noted Mr Moran had previous convictions for drugs and that there was “no concrete evidence” of remorse or an attempt at rehabilitation.

However, he noted that, in mitigation, Mr Moran’s barrister, William O’Brien, BL, had stated that his client was a “nice fellow when not on drugs”.

Judge Martin said that Mr Moran had been in the “throes of addiction” at the time and had a history of polysubstance abuse.

Mr Moran had also shown no signs of the “trappings of wealth”, and though his co-operation had been limited, he had pleaded guilty.

It was also Mr Moran’s first time before the Circuit Criminal Court.

Judge Martin jailed Mr Moran for four years for the sale or supply of drugs, but suspended the final 12 months on condition that Mr Moran enter a peace bond of €100 and availed of the prison services while in custody and for 12 months following his release.