Judge condemns 'insidious normalisation of illicit drugs' after death of Cork student

Judge Gerard O’Brien imposed a two-year sentence with 18 months suspended on Harry Clifton, and imposed wholly suspended two-year sentences on Ruairí Maher and Jessica O’Connor for their parts in the supply of the synthetic drug N-bomb.

Alex Ryan, 18, took snorted the drug and died as a result.

Judge O’Brien said in his judgement, “The fact that certain elements in youth culture speak of recreational drug use so freely and regularly has normalised an activity which is highly profitable for some and can have fatal consequences for others.

The case is extremely serious indeed.

The offences committed arise out of a devil may care and reckless attitude to the consumption of illicit drugs and in this case designer drugs.

The participation in this irresponsible situation was by many people over the course of that fateful weekend.

“The court has not heard from the other party attendees that upped the ante as it were for a better, sharper or more extreme high as the excesses of the drink and drug fuelled weekend drew to its tragic conclusion.

“I have no doubt that Mr Alex Ryan’s tragic death has given the participants in this party pause for thought.

“Mr Ryan, according to the evidence, was a willing participant in the drug-taking at this party.

“He paid the ultimate price for it and his family must live with his absence from their lives forever.

“This matter has attracted media attention. The participants were middle class college students whose sense of entitlement to access that better and greater high clouded their judgement.

“And while all young people feel invincible since time began that invincibility in the past referred to the possibility of never being involved in an accident climbing Mount Everest, not the wilful and reckless ingestion of drugs obtained from persons who consort with criminals that manufacture these products for the sole purpose of profiting from the horror of addiction and depravity.

“The deaths of socially deprived young people that have drug addiction problems hardly warrant a comment because they are not privileged, they are poorly educated and cannot access the facilities and luxuries that many of the young people who attended at this event can obtain.

“The arrogant disregard by young people, admittedly a minority, to the laws in respect of drug taking and their mindless carelessness of their own lives not to mention their health is most disturbing and deeply regrettable.

“This case highlights the insidious normalisation of the consumption of illicit drugs.

“The law does not recognise the term recreational drug use. It makes no distinction between it and drug abuse which is deeply connected with dangerous, cynical and most sinister criminals.

“What is recreational drug use for the upper middle glass is scumbag drug use for those who live in less affluent areas. The application of designer drug is a self-serving and justifying term.

“The difficulties that the authorities face in trying to keep pace with faceless criminals that experiment with substances for profit are becoming more difficult to overcome.”

The judge said Maher and O’Connor and the late Mr Ryan sought out Clifton with the express purpose of purchasing an illegal product that would be as potent as possible.

He said they submitted that they did not know what they were getting but he said their recklessness was culpable.

The judge said the deceased Mr Ryan did not have to be induced, coerced or cajoled into taking the drug during what the judge described as young people in an orgy of drink and drugs consumption, a drug which he said had been sourced from dubious invisible others.

Judge O’Brien said people were bleating on about not knowing what was in the drug but he said that very many illegal drugs were full of rat poison.

The investigation took place against the background of 18-year-old Alex Ryan’s death after he sniffed the synthetic drug at a party in Greenmount, Cork, at the beginning of this year.

Detective Garda Daniel McEnery said the investigation commenced following the admission of several young people to hospital after they had taken a drug at a party in Greenmount. Most of the people at the party were students aged around 20.

Investigations brought drugs squad officers to the door of Harry Clifton (aged 29) at 11 St Finbarr’s Place, Proby’s Quay, Cork, as their information was that the drug had been sourced from Clifton.

Clifton had supplied 12 ‘trips’ of the drug to Ruairí Maher (aged 22) of 12 Ballycurrane, Thurles, County Tipperary. The 12 doses were sold to him for a total of €80.

Maher had been contacted via dating website Tinder that night by Jessica O’Connor (aged 20) of Rosebank House, Ballyhar, Killarney, Co Kerry.

She had been at a weekend-long party with friends and they had decided to get their hands on some kind of hallucinogenic drug. Maher told her he could get her 12 trips for €120 making a €40 profit by the transaction.

Through these channels the drug was brought to the party in Greenmount.

Apart from this drug being taken there was evidence of people attending the party in Greenmount taking huge quantities of alcohol, including wine, spirits and Tequila.

Harry Clifton pleaded guilty to having N-bomb for the purpose of supply and related charges. Ruairí Maher admitted conspiring with another to possess a controlled drug for the purpose of sale or supply, namely N-bomb.

Jessica O’Connor admitted having N-bomb for the purpose of sale or supply.

Alex Ryan (aged 18) from Liscahane, Millstreet, Co Cork, died on January 23. Cork Coroner’s Court heard that the teenager died after consuming the synthetic drug N-bomb.