‘Trusted storeman’ jailed for hiding cash and drugs in couch at his home in Limerick village

A FAMILY man who was caught storing significant quantities of drugs and cash at his home has been jailed for two years.

Patrick Byrnes, 40, who has an address at Woodpark, Castleconnell had pleaded guilty to drugs and money laundering charges relating to two seizures which were made just six months apart.

During a sentencing hearing last year, Detective Garda Declan O’Halloran of the divisional drugs unit told Limerick Circuit Court nearly 3kgs of cannabis was found hidden in a tyre in a shed at the rented property on June 9, 2018.

He said gardai were carrying out a surveillance operation in the area and that five vacuum packs, containing the drugs, were recovered a short time after they were dropped off at the house.

Mr Byrnes, who was arrested on the day, accepted responsibility for the drugs telling gardai he had been told to store them to repay a debt he owed.

The house was searched again on December 6, 2018 after confidential information was received that cocaine was being stored there.

While in the house gardai became aware that something was hidden inside  a couch in the kitchen.

Upon further examination, four packets containing cocaine and €17,950 in cash were discovered inside the couch. The cocaine, which weighed 833g, had an estimated value of €58,344.

The defendant told gardai the drugs and cash had been there for around a week and that he had been told he had to store them by another individual.

“He was holding onto the cocaine and cash to make up for the cannabis he lost (six month earlier),” said John O’Sullivan BL, prosecuting.

Mark Nicholas SC said his client – a father-of-five- has no trappings of wealth and that he cooperated with gardai and made admissions.

He said the cocaine and cash had been “delivered by a lackie” and that Mr Byrnes “had no real choice” as he was under pressure.

He asked the court to note that his client was not the target of the first search and that another man was arrested near Newport on the same day.

The barrister asked the court to consider the seizures as the “one offence” rather than two separate seizures.

Imposing sentence this week, Judge Tom O’Donnell said the value of the drugs seized and the proximity of the offences were an aggravating factor.

He expressed concern that the offences happened in the defendant’s home and he noted the presence of children’s toys in photographs submitted as evidence.

The judge accepted that Mr Byrnes was a under considerable duress and that he commented that his level of culpability was “in the mid-range”.

He said he was satisfied he did not have to impose the mandatory sentence of ten years’ imprisonment but that a custodial element “must be involved”.

He imposed a three year prison sentence, suspending the final 12 months.

The drugs are to be destroyed and the cash forfeited to the State.