Youth worker caught with €17,000 of cocaine given suspended sentence

A community youth worker who was caught with over €17,000-worth of cocaine, including some down his underwear, has received a suspended sentence after a judge found it was an “unusual” case, which merited leniency.

Andrew O'Hara (36) was a former drug addict who turned his life around, got a degree in community care and had a "bright future" ahead of him before he fell back into drug abuse, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard.

He was caught after he was pulled over by gardaí who had been tipped off that he was delivering drugs to an address in Charlemont Street, Dublin 2, on March 25th, 2016. He told gardaí­ that he was paid €300 to carry out the delivery, which he needed to pay off a €1,200 cocaine debt.

O’Hara, of Lohunda Downs, Clonsilla, Dublin 15, pleaded guilty to one count of possessing drugs for sale or supply.

Giving him a suspended four-year sentence, Judge Melanie Greally said it was an "unusual case" in which O'Hara had "applied himself in an impressive way to help others in the inner city" who faced similar problems to his.

She took into account several other factors including his early plea, his low risk of reoffending, his lack of criminal history and the fact he became a father for the first time last week.

Garda Brian Cleary told prosecuting barrister, Martina Baxter BL, that O’Hara drove to Blanchardstown that day and received a package of drugs, which he was instructed to deliver to a man.

He told gardaí­ he didn’t know the man he was delivering the drugs to and he did not know the quantity of drugs in the package. He was pulled over in Charlemont Street after he had delivered the drugs to an address there.

Some of the drugs were found in his underwear, while more were recovered from the Charlemont Street address. Another man was also arrested and his case is still before the courts.

The drugs had a combined worth of €17,339, the court heard. O’Hara has two previous convictions for road traffic offences.

Defence barrister, Tara Burns SC, told the court O’Hara comes from a good family but became addicted to drugs in 2002 after the death of his brother. With the support of his parents, he rehabilitated himself in 2008 at the Rutland Centre and went on to “turn his life around”, Ms Burns said.

He started volunteering with youth groups, studied community care at FETAC level and went on to get a degree in community work. He is now a youth worker for a national organisation that helps disadvantaged young people, the court heard.

However, O’Hara fell back into drug use and started spending between €300 and €500 a week on cocaine. “It’s somewhat puzzling that someone who turned their life around should find themselves back in the position in which they started,” Ms Burns said.

She said O’Hara’s parents and partner, who gave birth to their first child last week, were shocked to find out about his return to drug use.

In a letter handed up to court, O’Hara expressed his deep regret for the offence and pledged never to let drugs “take a grip of him” again. He is now drug-free once more, the court heard.

After the sentence was handed down, O’Hara said “thank you” to the judge before hugging family members outside court.