Man caught with a Kinder egg containing illegal drugs is jailed

Scott Purdue (22) had previously been shot in the head and had two fingers removed, court heard

A man caught with a Kinder Surprise egg containing illegal drugs had previously been shot in the head, a court has heard.

Scott Purdue (22) was also shot in the lower abdomen in 2018 on the anniversary of the first shooting. In addition he was attacked when he was aged 16 and had two of his fingers removed.

Purdue of Shancastle Park, Clondalkin, Dublin pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of cannabis for sale or supply at Shancastle Park, Clondalkin, on October 20th, 2019.

Detective Garda Marcus Rowntree told Eoghan Cole BL, prosecuting, that on the date in question he was on patrol when he spotted Purdue acting suspiciously beside a car.

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Det Gda Rowntree said he saw the accused take an item from the wheel arch of the car. He attempted to flee and throw the item away, but he was caught and gardaí­ recovered the item.

The item recovered was a large Kinder Surprise egg wrapped in a sock which contained approximately €4,300 of cannabis.

Breffni Gordon BL, defending, said his client left school at around 13 or 14 and got involved with “delinquent acts”. He said his client has been subjected to “extraordinary if not barbaric acts”.

Mr Gordon said that when his client was 16, he was the victim of an attack during which two of his fingers were removed.

Counsel said his client was shot in the head in 2017 and the round remains lodged inside his head. He said his client was shot in the lower abdomen in 2018 on the anniversary of the first shooting.

Mr Gordon said there has been a “significant impairment” to his client’s peripheral vision due to being shot in the head. He said his client cannot see his toes and he cannot look left or right.

Counsel said that either his client will turn his life around or “he will end up in an early grave”.

Judge Martin Nolan said that "to put it at its mildest", the accused has been very unlucky in his life.

Judge Nolan said he had been considering a two-and-a-half year sentence of imprisonment, but that in light of Purdue's misfortune, he would instead impose a sentence of 15 months imprisonment.