‘Heavy user’ had drugs worth €850 in car in Limerick  

JUDGE Mary Larkin ordered a pre-sanction report to be drawn up on Darren O’Brien, McGarry House, Limerick and adjourned the case against him to June 20.

O’Brien was charged on two counts of illegal possession of drugs and two counts of possession of drugs with intent to supply on September 9, 2017. The court was told that on that date, a garda mobile patrol stopped the defendant and found €650 worth of cannabis and €200 worth of cocaine in the car.

Pleading for his client, solicitor Ted McCarthy said that at the time, Darren O’Brien was living with his brother and both of them were “heavy users” He admitted to the gardai he was a user, the solicitior said. “It is accepted not that in sharing with his brother, he was in effect supplying.”

But, Mr Mcarthy added, his client had attended Cuan Mhuire and was now in aftercare in Limerick City, living in emergency housing accommodation. But he was about to leave that through the support of the Simon Community. “He has made strenuous efforts to beat his addiction,” Mr McCarthy said. “He is doing all that even though he has been homeless.”

Judge Larkin looked for a pre-sanction report to see if the Probation Service can assist him.