A man who became involved in drug-dealing because he lost his job has been jailed for 10 years at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Darragh Small was convicted by a jury after a five-day trial of holding on to half a kilo of heroin for payment. It was the third bid to prosecute him after two previous trials collapsed.
Small (29), Iveagh Gardens, Crumlin, had pleaded not guilty to possessing 489 grammes of heroin worth €97,000 in a plastic bag at Bow Lane West, Kilmainham, on December 2nd, 2005.
Judge Patricia Ryan called it a “grave offence” and said she could see no reason not to impose the mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison.
Feargal Kavanagh, defending, said Small had two young children and would miss their growing up if he went to jail for 10 years.
