Man avoids jail after being caught with €9,000 worth of drugs

By Claire Henry

A man has been given a suspended sentence after he was caught with just over €9,000 worth of drugs in his bedroom in a house that a judge said seemed to  “be riddled with drugs from top to bottom”.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that Charles Santos (30) of Adelaide Road, Dublin, pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis, cannabis resin, cocaine and MDMA at an address at Summer Street North, Dublin 1 on February 15, 2023. He has no previous convictions.

Passing sentence on Thursday, Judge Pauline Codd said, “The entire household seems to be riddled with drugs from top to bottom”.

Judge Codd noted that Santos was not the target of the search warrant and said this offence was on the lower end of offending.

The judge said she would consider his early guilty plea, his lack of previous convictions and that he no longer takes cannabis as mitigating factors.

Judge Codd sentenced Santos to ten months in prison but suspended it in full for two years. She said he must remain drug-free during this time.

Garda Kylie Beirne told David Perry, BL, prosecuting, that gardai executed a search warrant on the then-home of Santos. During the search, Santos returned to the home. When his bedroom was searched, cocaine, cannabis, cannabis resin and MDMA with a combined value of €9,328.60 were found.

The court heard that the drugs were found in shoe boxes and in a chest of drawers. Santos was arrested, detained and interviewed.

He claimed during interview that some of the cannabis and MDMA were his but denied knowledge of the remainder of the drugs found in his bedroom. Santos told Gardai that he had been to Brazil, and when he returned, the shoe boxes were left in his room.

Santos admitted to being a cannabis user and that he bought large amounts of cannabis with his friends, and they shared it.

Gda Beirne said more drugs were found in other bedrooms in the six-bedroom house. A female who was present at the time of the search was charged but failed to appear in court, and a bench warrant was issued for her. A second male is also being sought by gardai for questioning.

Gda Beirne agreed with Keith Spencer, BL, defending that his client was not the subject of the search warrant and that Santos was cooperative with gardai.

Mr Spencer said his client has worked as a Deliveroo driver and in restaurants.

Counsel said his client entered an early guilty plea and is no longer using cannabis.