CORK: COCAINE DEALING A MURDEROUS BUSINESS - JUDGE

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE FUELLED BY COCAINE

“Victims suffer so much, they have no confidence, they have no self-esteem. They’re on the floor flattened and the next thing they might try and get back up and find they have nothing. “Rampant” cocaine use is fuelling domestic violence and dominating family court cases in Ireland, it has been claimed.

Recreational use of cocaine has become so widespread it is impacting the lives of people from every economic background, and a rising number of addicts are choosing the drug over their children, according to a family law solicitor.

Sandra McAleer, based in Dublin, said it is involved in almost every other court case she deals with. “Cocaine is rampant, it’s either the cause or it’s the financial burden because of people taking cocaine,” she said.

“People taking cocaine get cocky, and when they get high, they get paranoid and that’s when the arguments start. “People can’t go out for a few drinks any-more, they have to go to the toilet (to snort cocaine).

Domestic violence is being fuelled by cocaine. Everybody is going at it

“Normal working mums are losing their kids over cocaine.” She said that while cocaine was previously seen as a “rich man’s drug”, it is now being used by people on low incomes, parents with nine to five jobs and wealthy businessmen and women.

She added that cocaine is given out “on tap”, leaving people facing mounting debts as they spend hundreds of euros each weekend on the drug.  Ms McAleer said it has become socially acceptable to openly do a line of cocaine during nights out.

I can't comprehend how men and many women are choosing the white stuff over their children “There’s a lot of money in it and the only people that are fuelling it are the Joe Soaps.

“A dealer told me that he can get up to €1,000 for a good bag of cocaine.” One victim of domestic violence wants abusers to be made to sign a national register to help prevent other women from experiencing similar abuse.

Dublin mother Priscilla Grainger was emotionally and physically abused throughout her marriage and was afraid to seek help. After she eventually ended the marriage, she found little help for victims. In 2014, she and her daughter set up the organisation Stop Domestic Violence in Ireland, which provides help for people trying to get out of violent and abusive relationships. “Myself and my daughter were physically and emotionally abused, it became extremely dangerous,” Ms Grainger said.

“I realised we need to help other people, and the only way to stop domestic violence is by helping other people and exposing it, as domestic violence is not a crime.” She said the organisation had a huge increase in calls for help over the Christmas period, with financial abuse and cocaine among the main factors.

“The financial abuse can be very daunting for the victims because they have nothing coming up to Christmas,” Ms Grainger added. “Bank accounts could be cleaned out if the victim has a joint account with their husband or partner or wife. “It was non-stop until Christmas Eve, it was horrific.

“You could see the fear in people’s faces because they’ve obviously had a horrendous Christmas and it’s all down to these narcissistic men and women. Abusers are not just men, there are women too.

“Victims suffer so much, they have no confidence, they have no self-esteem. They’re on the floor flattened and the next thing they might try and get back up and find they have nothing. “There is no register for domestic violence as it is not a crime, so people can’t check on new partners. “If the relationship breaks up, he’s gone, he moves on to the next person and he’ll do the same thing.

The next government needs to make domestic violence a crime and introduce a register which perpetrators must have to sign. “If they did, they might not be too quick to lift their hand or kick their feet.”

CALL TO INTERN DRUG DEALERS:

The brother of a murdered journalist has called for the return of internment to deal with an ongoing drugs feud in Ireland and (the ongoing threat to the security of the State).

Jimmy Guerin, a local councillor in Dublin and brother of murdered Sunday Independent journalist Veronica Guerin, said politicians must change the law to tackle the crimewave.

The country has been left shocked by the murder this month of 17-year-old Keane Mulready-Woods. The Drogheda teenager’s body was dismembered and left in various locations in Dublin, and his murder was linked to a feud between two criminal gangs.

Keane Mulready-Woods Murdered By Feuding Drug Gang, Screen Grab Photo:

Mr Guerin, whose sister was shot in her car in 1996 after her investigative work exposed members of criminal gangs, called for the return of internment, the controversial policy of detention without trial of suspected republicans during the Troubles.

“I will be far happier if a superintendent went to these houses, of people they know to be involved, and these people are arrested and interned, and at that stage then let’s bring the cases against them and let’s jail them for their crimes,” he said on LMFM Radio on Wednesday. “It’s the legislators who make the law that we have to live by, the legislators can bring in the necessary legislation.

“We did it in the 70s, we did have a battle against the Provisional IRA, and we interned people. Let’s do it now because of the drugs, and the cancer that it is in our society is just as big a threat to the security of the state as the Provo’s were.”

Mr Guerin said he knows the idea seems dramatic, but the recent murders represent a turning point for the country.

“I would have locked them up,” he said. “I mean, that sounds very dramatic yet, in- reality, yes, I would do that today. “If the superintendent and Garda intelligence are satisfied that these people are terrorising people and involved in illegal activity, then I would make it a priority that those who are locked up and interned are brought before the courts as speedily as possible to face the charges that are against them, and I make no apology for saying that.

We need measures to be put in place immediately to protect the majority, not to worry about the civil rights and civil liberties of the few drug dealers going around terrorising people “If politicians had the courage, they would put that type of legislation in place.”

Noting similarities to the murder of his sister, Mr Guerin said media attention will eventually fall away from the feud and nothing substantial will have changed.

MURDERED JOURNALIST Veronica Guerin. Screen Grab Photo.

“I’ve always said that, you know, that it (Veronica’s death) was in vain and we failed to actively take advantage of our huge opportunity when there was public support and an outcry for action to be taken,” Mr Guerin added.

“In reality, what happened is that CAB (the Criminal Assets Bureau) was formulated, but for about 12 months, the resources were made available to the guards just to tackle the crime gang that were responsible for Veronica’s murder, and it did have an effect and we saw drug criminals going overseas and they were afraid of what was happening.

“And then, like everything else and what’s going to happen in these recent tragedies and barbaric murders, as soon as it comes off the media attention, well then the resources are no longer made available and the overtime is not paid. “I find it sad- I have always said, every life is sacred.

“We could take action. We had six people murdered in seven months who had received warnings from the Garda that their lives was in danger, and they were also known to be involved in criminal activity, in the drugs, and had we interned these people they would be alive today – these crimes, these murders, would not have occurred.”

ADDITIONAL ARTICLE:

A judge has said young professionals are funding “a murderous business” in buying cocaine after dealing with a string of cases in which he handed a jail term to a pharmacist and fined both an inter-county footballer and a law graduate.

Judge James McNulty made his comments at Clonakilty District Court, where he also handed a jail sentence to another man who had been convicted of having the equivalent of 100 lines of cocaine in 10 bags hidden in two socks for sale or supply.

All the cases involved locations in Kinsale during the weekend of last year’s Kinsale Rugby Sevens event. Three cases of possessing cocaine took place in and around the event itself at Snug-more in the town.

Thomas Bambrick, a 24-year-old carpenter who has also played Gaelic football for Laois, was convicted and fined €1,000 for possession of cocaine worth €80 when he was searched at 4.50pm on May 5 last while attending the Kinsale Rugby Sevens event.

Mr Bambrick, of Graigue, Mountmellick in Co Laois, had no previous convictions and his solicitor, Eamonn Fleming, said his client wanted to avoid a conviction.

Judge McNulty reiterated the points he made last week when dealing with similar cases arising from the same event, stressing that the courts had to administer the law and repeating that possession of cocaine is “not a trivial offence”.

“If he and his peers choose to buy cocaine for their amusement, they are supporting what is literally a murderous business,” Judge McNulty said.

They are contributing to the profits of dangerous men who will mind their patch, collect their debts, and grow their profits by doing anything that needs to be done. That is what they are supporting.

Sean O’Leary, a 27-year-old pharmacist of 38 Kileen Woods, Tralee, pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine worth €70 when searched at 6.17pm by plainclothes Gardaí on May 5 last.

Mr Fleming said his client’s employer was standing by him over an “aberration”. Mr O’Leary had no previous convictions and had been given cocaine by another person.

Judge McNulty said Mr O’Leary knew better than most the risks associated with ingesting “something that came from God knows where, made by God knows who”.

Sadly, Mr O’Leary is an example of a gifted, privileged, spoilt generation.

He sentenced him to 30 days in prison, despite the emotional pleas of the accused’s father in court.

Daniel O’Connell, a UCC law graduate and past employee of Fexco and with an address at Curragh Lodge, Aghadoe, Killarney, was convicted and fined €900 after he pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine when searched at 4.50pm on May 5 last, again at the Sevens event.

The 23-year-old had no previous convictions and his mother, Eileen, told the judge: “I would see him and his peers as being victims of these people who infiltrate these occasions and take advantage of people when they are highly intoxicated and trying to make their sales.”

Later, Lee Garvin, of 19 Trimblestone Road, Booterstown in Dublin and previously of Kinsale, was sentenced to 10 months in prison for sale or supply of cocaine.

The IT recruitment consultant had been searched after initially shouting at and being abusive to passing Gardaí near a pub in Kinsale at 9.10pm on May 4 last.

He had pleaded not guilty to the sale and supply charge and to the public order charge, but had been convicted on Monday, having pleaded guilty to possession of the cocaine.

Judge McNulty said Mr Garvin’s claim that the cocaine, worth €1,152.69, was for his own use was “untenable, not credible and downright untruthful”.

The court heard Mr Garvin, 25, had had a difficult childhood and had also refused to provide Gardaí with his phone when he went to the Garda station three days after the offence.

He also received a one-month jail term for the public order offence and another one month in prison for the possession offence.

All those convicted lodged appeals.  ENDS