Five-year sentence for plasterer
A successful plasterer who turned to drug dealing to feed his cocaine addiction has been given a five-year sentence for possession of over €12,000 of cocaine by Judge Patricia Ryan at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Judge Ryan heard that Darren Foster (aged 28), who had been earning up to €3,000 a week in his plastering business, was caught in possession of cocaine twice in five days in separate searches of his home.
Foster, of North Circular Road, Dublin 1, pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine for sale or supply at his home on January 16 and 21, 2006.
Judge Ryan imposed a sentence of five years imprisonment with the final year suspended.
Garda Brian Quirke told Ms Caroline Biggs BL, prosecuting, that he searched Foster’s home on foot on confidential information and found cocaine totalling €11,060 in an ESB box and on Foster’s person.
Gda Quirke said they found a further smaller amount valued at €1,283 in a follow up search some days later.
Gda Quirke said Foster, who has 18 previous convictions, admitted the drugs were his initially claiming they were for personal use but eventually conceding he had been dealing drugs to feed his own cocaine habit.
Mr Remy Farrell BL, defending Foster, said his client had starting using cocaine recreationally but his habit had spiralled out of control to a point where he was using half an ounce of cocaine a week.
Mr Farrell said it was regrettable that "young Irish people with a disposable income that their parents could only have dreamed of" often turned to recreational drugs use.
Mr Farrell said his client, who had entered an early guilty plea and fully co-operated with gardai, was dealing to feed his "full blown habit".
He said recently married Foster, who had earned a significant amount of money in his business, currently owed over €40,000 to trade creditors and asked for time to allow him to pay his debts which was refused by Judge Ryan after Ms Biggs objected to Foster being remanded on bail.
