A Circuit Court judge has given a Kildare man a reduction in a mandatory sentence from 10 years to two years for possession of more than €25,000 worth of drugs for sale or supply because of his "exceptional and sad" circumstances.
When gardaí raided Oliver Heavy's home at Woodview, Monasterevin, in March last year, he immediately held his hands up and showed gardaí where he was hiding the drugs. A total of 941 ecstasy tablets and 2,002gr of cannabis were found along with bags of cocaine.
The haul came to a street value of €25,910. Heavy also gave gardaí €1,245 in cash he had received from selling drugs.
The court heard he had up to 25 customers a week in the Monasterevin area. Heavy (29) had no previous convictions.
His defence counsel said Heavy had pleaded guilty at the earliest stage and had co-operated fully with the Garda. The court heard he had had a tough life with many tragedies.
Judge Patrick McCartan was informed he had been paralysed from the right knee down as a result of a car accident and was unable to work.
He was told it was completely out of character for Heavy to get involved in such a crime and he realised how foolish he had been.
He apologised to the court.
Judge McCartan said the mandatory minimum sentence for possession for sale or supply for such a quantity of drugs was 10 years, but he pointed out there was room for a reduction of that sentence in exceptional cases. He said he had read the various probation and medical reports before him.
He pointed out the serious nature of the charges and the serious trouble caused by drug-peddling. However, he said he was prepared to make such a remarkable reduction in this very "exceptional and sad case".