Six years for men found with €160,000 worth of heroin

Judge Hunt said he had no choice but to impose prison sentences of six years on Beale, and four years on Griffith, with the final two years suspended in each case.

Gda Martin Geraghty of Celbridge Garda Station told prosecuting counsel, Mr Ronan Kennedy BL, the men were arrested after €158,371 worth of the drug was found in the back of Beale’s van.

Gda Geraghty said Beale told him he was holding the heroin "as a favour" for the man who sold him heroin costing €360 a week to feed his five-year-old habit.

Beale said he stored the heroin in his father’s attic and had not sought any reward for holding it. He told Gda Geraghty he was at the Lucan Spa Hotel to return the drug to "its owner".

Gda Geraghty told Mr Kennedy that when asked if he was involved in distributing the heroin, Beale replied: "Absolutely not. I’m wasting money on it, not making money."

Gda Geraghty said Griffin told him he accompanied Beale to the hotel but had no previous knowledge of the drugs in the back of the van and he believed the only role Griffin played was to hold the bags of heroin and wipe the fingerprints off them.

Gda Geraghty agreed with Mr Gerry O’Brien SC, defending, that "Griffin wasn’t the sharpest tool in the box" and had attended a special needs school when he was younger. He also had a heroin problem and had seven previous convictions for theft and public order offences.

Mr O’Brien said Griffin’s brother was mentally disabled and needed constant care which his mother was unable to provide as she suffered from several health problems.

Mr Niall Durnin SC appealed for leniency for Beale in light of his early admission and guilty plea.