A father of three described by gardai as one of the main suppliers of ecstasy in Cork city was yesterday sentenced to 11 years' jail after he pleaded guilty to having £500,000 worth of the drug for sale or supply.
John Brett (38), from Desmond Square, Greenmount, pleaded guilty to having over £10,000 worth of ecstasy for sale or supply at Ballinglanna Woods, Glanmire, Cork, on November 16th, contrary to Section 15A of the Misuse of Drugs Act.
Det Supt Tim Callaghan told Cork Circuit Criminal Court that Brett was one of the main ecstasy dealers in Cork. "He's a career drugs dealer and has been so for years - he's made a very good livelihood from it for years," he said.
Brett had never worked but was not a drug addict, said Det Supt Callaghan, adding that he had previous convictions for supplying drugs as well as convictions for assault, burglary and larceny.
Brett was arrested following a surveillance operation on him by members of Cork City Divisional Drugs Squad who observed him meeting a number of people in the city, including two men in a van.
These men were also put under surveillance and were observed transferring a quantity of tyres into a warehouse at Glanmire. One of the men began cutting open the tyres with an angle grinder, the court heard. Gardai moved in and arrested the men and found 50,000 ecstasy tablets concealed in plastic bags stuck with adhesive to the inside of the tyres. The drugs had a street value of £500,000, said Det Supt Callaghan.
Brett was arrested later that evening at his home and questioned. He made a full statement to detectives admitting his involvement in the operation and he took full responsibility for the 50,000 ecstasy tablets.
"He stated that he organised the consignment - he thought he was getting only 15,000 tablets but 50,000 turned up - he was waiting with the balance until he got further instructions," said Det Supt Callaghan.
Cross-examined by defence counsel Mr Blaise O'Carroll SC, Det Supt Callaghan accepted that Brett had received serious injuries in a stabbing eight years ago which almost killed him and needed regular medical treatment.
Brett's partner, Ms Phyllis Crean, said Brett was a very good father to his three children who were very close to him and she pleaded with Judge A.G. Murphy to give her some hope by imposing as lenient a sentence as possible.
"Does he give his kids drugs? - no - only other people's kids," said Judge Murphy before noting that Brett had pleaded guilty to Section 15A of the Misuse of Drugs Act which carries a mandatory 10-year sentence.
"This is a case of a man who used drugs simply as a business - he is a businessman, he is not an addict or anything like that.
"It was a cold business for the ruin of others - it seems to me the appropriate sentence would be 15 to 20 years," he said.
However, he noted that Brett had a medical condition, had co-operated with gardai and had pleaded guilty at the first available opportunity. Taking these into accounts, he sentenced him to 11 years in jail without review.