A chronic heroin addict has told a judge that he "will be dead in a week" if he is released from custody.
Patrick Higgins, with an address at Henry Street, Limerick, made an impassioned plea at Limerick District Court yesterday not to be released from prison as he fears he will die from his drug habit.
The 41-year-old told Judge Elizabeth MacGrath that jail was the only place where he couldn't get heroin and begged her not to let him "back out on the streets".
In a plea to the judge, the defendant - who has 59 previous convictions but none for drugs-related offences - said he could "barely stand in court" his heroin problem was so bad.
The court heard that Mr Higgins was arrested by gardaí last Monday as part of an ongoing operation into the sale and supply of heroin in Limerick city.
Judge MacGrath ordered that he be remanded in custody for eight days and requested that an evaluation of Mr Higgins be carried out by the probation services.
