A man who claimed he only sold ecstasy tablets to friends was jailed for eight months at Galway District Court.
Imposing sentence on Keith Long (21), of Briar Hill, Castlegar, Judge Mary Fahy said he had been peddling death, and his excuse that he was only supplying friends was not accepted.
The court, she said, had to send out a message that young people who claimed they were only supplying friends would go to prison like anybody else found dealing drugs.
Long pleaded guilty to two counts of drug-dealing in 2002 and 2004, and to two of having the drugs in his possession on both dates.
Sgt Willie Beirne gave evidence that he searched Long at a house party in Frenchpark, Oranmore, on May 15th last year and found 92 ecstasy tablets.
Long claimed the drugs were for himself and his friends. Sgt Beirne said he was satisfied the accused had the drugs for sale.
The court heard that in July 2002 Long was one of three people found in a car in Galway city by Det Garda Mick Moran. Long had 15 ecstasy tablets.
Long would not reveal the name of his supplier. "He gave me a cock-and-bull story about not knowing the name of the person he got the drugs from. He told me he got them off a stranger.
"He would not tell me the name of his supplier or the names of the people he was passing them on to," the sergeant told the court.
Judge Fahy said the court would not accept the defence that where people were only supplying their friends they were less culpable. In this case, Long would have to have had 70 to 80 so-called "friends".
"He was peddling in death, and this court has to send out a strong message to young people that if their so-called friends want to get ecstasy let them get it themselves.
"I want to tell young people coming into this court who say they didn't buy drugs for selling that they are going to get punished."
She sentenced Long to four months in prison on both drug-dealing charges, to run consecutively, and fined him €250 on each of the possession charges.