A garda told a court yesterday his son's arrest for drug-dealing had devastated him and his family.
Garda Pat Kirby, stationed in Youghal, Co Cork, for the last 23 years, and a member of the force for 35 years, said the whole town knew of the situation since his son Tony was arrested last January. "I have not been able to concentrate on the job and I can't sleep." he said. Tony Kirby (25) of Sweetfields Estate, Youghal, pleaded guilty to two charges of having illegal drugs at the Hilltop Hotel, Youghal, in January this year. The charges related to amphetamine tablets and amphetamine powder.
Sgt Jack Gaine told Youghal District Court that two plainclothes gardai went to a disco in the hotel last January 9th and 10th. Kirby sold them an amphetamine tablet each for £10.
The following night, in a Garda raid on the premises, Kirby was arrested. In a capsule box found on him, there were 39 tablets and two packets of the drug in powder form. The total value of the drugs was £430, said Sgt Gaine.
The case was expected to last two days and involved 17 witnesses, most of them local gardai, but at the start of the hearing before Judge Gerard Haughton the defence asked for a short adjournment. The judge was later told there would be a guilty plea to all charges.
Tony Kirby told the court that he deeply regretted what he had done, especially the hurt and embarrassment suffered by his family. He admitted he had taken drugs in the past "but not for the last four or five months". He wanted to begin a new life in England with his girlfriend, working in his brother's pub.
Kirby's counsel, Mr John Devlin, said in a small town like Youghal where everyone knew the Kirbys, the case had had a devastating effect on the family, especially Garda Kirby. A custodial sentence would be particularly difficult for the defendant because as a garda's son he might face discrimination while in jail.
Judge Haughton recalled Sgt Gaine to the witness box to ask if Kirby had been of assistance after his arrest with inquiries into the source of the drugs. "No, judge," replied Sgt Gaine.
The judge said the defendant had had many months to consider his approach to the case, yet there had been only "a conversion at the 12th hour" and he had not been of the slightest help to the Gardai.
He said he would impose the penalty at Dungarvan Court tomorrow as he wanted to know whether Kirby had convictions in another jurisdiction.
He remanded him in custody to that date.