A Dublin man who ran a cocaine manufacturing and mixing plant at his home has received a 12-year sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Drug paraphernalia and cocaine valued at €440,000 were found at the home of Rory Lyons (39), a father of five, Fortlawn Park, Blanchardstown, who pleaded guilty to possessing 7kg of the drug for sale or supply in September 2004.
Judge Katherine Delahunt suspended four years of the sentence. She said the offence was at the serious end of the scale as Lyons was operating a manufacturing and mixing plant rather than simply storing drugs.
Sgt Michael Kennedy earlier told Luan Ó Braonáin, prosecuting, that gardaí received information that equipment associated with the drugs trade was seen being carried on to Lyons's property.
Gardaí went to his address the following day with a search warrant and saw Lyons in his back garden beside buckets of a white powder commonly used as a mixing agent in the preparation of cocaine for sale.
Lyons was wearing latex gloves which he removed as gardaí jumped over the garden wall and began a search of the house.
Seven kilos of cocaine were found in the shed as well as a vacuum compressor and weighing scales.
Felix McEnroy SC, defending, said his client had no previous convictions and was addicted to cocaine and alcohol.
Judge Delahunt did not accept that Lyons was addicted to cocaine based on a medical report she received.
Mr McEnroy said Lyons had run up a debt to a "very serious individual" who was connected to "very serious criminal activity" but had since been shot dead. Lyons was said to have considered his life to be in danger from this individual.
Sgt Kennedy agreed with Mr McEnroy that Lyons " had not been on the "Garda radar".