Offaly man imprisoned for having drugs for sale or supply told he was 'lying through his teeth'

AN Offaly man was told he was "lying through his teeth" by Judge Andrew Cody when he attempted to explain how he received money gardai found under his bed when they discovered drugs at his home.

Before the court was Barry Flynn (40), with an address at The Island, Ballycumber, Tullamore in County Offaly, accused of possession of drugs, at his residence.

Sgt Kearns, court presenter, said gardai discovered drugs and seized a phone, weighing scales and several small plastic bags when they executed a search warrant at the address of the accused. They also found €2,880 cash under the defendant's bed.

Solicitor for the defendant, Aisling Maloney, said her client pleaded guilty to the drugs offences, but the cash found under the bed had been earned by working and that he does not receive any social welfare support.

She said her client only supplies people "in his social circle and not the community at large" with drugs.

She said her client works footing turf during the summer months and also had some success betting on golf events - "he seems to have been extraordinarily lucky" she said and presented the Judge with copies of receipts from winning bets.

The defendant gave sworn testimony to the court and said he earns approximately €300 to €350 per week working on the bog, employed by people "who own plots" and are "repeat customers".

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He said it is his sole form of income, as well as working on some minor groundworks and building jobs for people in his locality.

He told the Judge he supplies other people working on the bog with drugs for their personal use - to which Judge Cody asked if he is "Santy Claus now?"

Judge Cody reviewed evidence of downloaded text messages received on a Nokia phone seized by gardai at the defendant's home and remarked that the people requesting drug supplies were "connoisseurs," highlighting one request for €1,200 worth of drugs and another for €1,100 worth of a different variety of the same drug.

"You have been lying through your teeth all day long" Judge Cody told the defendant and imprisoned him for six months, with his own recognisances of €600 and a €300 cash lodgement.

Judge Cody ordered that all drug paraphernalia and cash seized at the defendant's home be forfeited to the State and that the mobile phone seized by gardai be destroyed.

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