Duleek resident owned up to being in possession of €10,000 worth of cocaine

A DULEEK man admitted he was the person who was in possession of over €10,000 worth of cocaine after another person claimed the drugs were theirs.

Moaz Muhammed (21), from Downstown Manor, Duleek, was in Trim Circuit Court for sentencing charged with possession of drugs for sale or supply.

The court heard on 9th October last year in Johnstown, Navan, Gardaí were conducting an investigation into drug dealing. The garda observed two males talking on a phone outside a property known for the sale and supply of drugs. One of the two males later stopped by gardai was identified as Moaz Muhammed.

Mr Muhammad was searched and his car keys were his pockets. The car was searched by gardai and a package wrapped in cling film and black plastic was found in the glove compartment. This was later found to contain €11,610 worth of cocaine. Another man claimed that the package was owned by him and he was subsequently arrested.

On 31st December last year Mr Muhammad attended Navan Garda station and said he was the one in possession of the cocaine, not the other man. His home was later searched and nothing of value was found.

A statement was given by the accused saying he was supplying the drugs for another person due to being in severe financial difficulty. This was caused by his cannabis addiction and the court heard he was smoking up to ten joints of cannabis every day. A guilty plea was indicated at an early stage.

Mr Muhammad has no previous convictions and has not come to Garda attention since.

Defending Barrister James O'Brien told the court Mr Muhammed has attended meetings with the Red Door Project addiction treatment centre and completed a ten week drug awareness course while also being drug tested through urine analysis. O’Brien said he is not diminishing the seriousness of the offence but the accused has dealt with it as well “as he possibly could”.

Judge John Martin told the court he notes that Mr Muhammed was feeding a drug habit that “you have kicked” and there is a slim chance of reoffending, calling the accused a model citizen when excluding this offence, but also said that nobody in the court is not aware of the damage drugs have cause to society.

Judge Martin said to the accused it is a serious charge because of “people like you who facilitate that wreckage of society, that allow it to be pedalled from door to door” so others can make money from people's addiction and called Mr Muhammed “an essential cog” in this process.

Mr Muhammed received a two year sentence suspended for two years on the condition he remains drug free, attends drug analysis appointments, and pays a fine of €5,000 by 30th October next year.

- Funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme