Teenager with €314,000 worth of heroin remanded in custody
A teenager who stored heroin valued €314,000 in the family sitting room has been remanded in custody for sentence later by Judge Frank O’Donnell at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
James Walsh (aged 18) of Cherry Orchard Parade, Ballyfermot whose own 10-year-old brother died of a drug overdose got into heavy debt with a criminal arising out of "property" belonging to this man he had found.
Garda Tara Corrigan agreed with defence counsel, Ms Caroline Biggs BL, that Walsh was terrified of the sinister criminal who forced him to hold the drugs for him in repayment of the "debt".
Walsh, who didn’t know whether it was heroin or cocaine he was holding and, pleaded guilty to possession of the cache for sale or supply on February 12, 2006 when he was 16 years old.
Garda Corrigan told prosecuting counsel, Mr Paul Greene BL, that when she discovered two bags holding heroin worth over €314,000 and cocaine valued €100, the teenager’s father, Christopher Walsh, became very angry with his son for holding the drugs.
Walsh said he was holding them because he had "a financial obligation to a certain man" and during garda interview he showed signs that he was very afraid of this man.
Ms Biggs said that Walsh had a very tragic family history. His brother died of a drug overdose when he was ten-years-of-age and since his arrest his mother had died. His father had admitted that his own alcohol abuse was damaging to the family.
She said that while Walsh was "not of high intelligence" he had completed his Junior Certificate and had worked with his father in his haulage business.
Ms Biggs noted that Walsh was only 16-years-of-age at the time of the offence and that he held the drugs because he was fearful and terrified.
