Jailed for repeated drugs offence

By Natasha Reid

A man found transporting €20,000 worth of cannabis in a rental van a month after gardaí seized €14,000 worth of the drug from a concealed compartment in his car has been sentenced to six and a half years in prison.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that Dubliner Derek Fee was on bail for the first offence when he carried out the second.

The 37-year-old, with an address at Tymonville Avenue in Tallaght, pleaded guilty to possession of drugs for sale or supply on two occasions on June 22, 2022, and in July of that year.

The court heard that at 7am on the June date, gardaí stopped Fee driving erratically in Tallaght.

Gardaí found three deals of cocaine, 300 diazapan tablets and a weighing scales in the vehicle he was driving, and he also had a ‘burner phone’ on him.

Another two large bundles of cocaine were found, with a value of €8,000.

He made full admissions, and the gardaí then went with a warrant to his home. No drugs were found in the house, but the accused’s mother gave gardaí the keys to a car parked outside.

Gardaí got a strong smell of cannabis from the car, and discovered a false compartment in the floor at the rear.

When they opened it, they found €14,000 worth of cannabis.

He said that he’d had that car for four weeks.

The second matter came to light the following month, when gardaí stopped him driving a rental van.

This time they found a kilo of cannabis under the passenger seat with a value of €20,000.

Giollaíosa O’Lideadha SC, defending, said that his client had got himself into a chaotic situation of debt, was under threat and felt there was no way out.

References had been made to being suicidal.

Counsel said that the overall picture of his client was of someone doing well in life, but who had become addicted and hit rock bottom when his family threw him out.

He said that he had totally changed his life since these incidents, and handed in a number of letters in support of him.

Judge Martin Nolan noted that Fee had previous convictions for drugs, and was dealing while out on bail.

“Even perfect mitigation only goes so far,” he said.

“It is about as close to perfect mitigation as you can get,” replied Mr O Lideadha.

Counsel said that the Probation Services had described him as at a low risk of reoffending and explained that a worker from a drug project had come to court to say Fee had been a great influence on the people there.

Other letters, including from an employer, were also handed in.

Judge Nolan said that the accused had many good points.

“When doing well, he’s an inspiration to others,” he noted.

He imposed two and a half years in prison on the first count, and four years on the second to run consecutively.