A Scottish man, known to the Garda Drugs Squad, was sentenced to five months in jail for possession and drug dealing offences.
The Galway District Court heard this week that although 31-year-old Edward Nugent had no previous convictions he was known by gardai as being involved in drugs and had been caught red-handed.
Nugent, with an address at 17a Murrough Park, Renmore, pleaded guilty to possession of heroin and to possession of heroin with intent to sell or supply on April 24, 2008. He was also charged with failing to appear in court on March 16, 2009.
Inspector Pat McHugh told the court that gardai conducted a search a house at St Bridget’s Terrace, Bohermore, and found the defendant and a woman sitting at the kitchen table smoking heroin from tin foil.
Defence solicitor Olivia Traynor told the court that her client, a Scottish national who had been in Ireland for eight years, had worked as a electrical technician and was doing a masters in college before he dropped out. She said that Nugent had been in trouble with drugs during his teens and had managed to get out of it but relapsed.
Regarding the incident, Ms Traynor said that Nugent went to this house and brought the heroin with him. She said that “both parties smoked it” and that her client accepts that he had bought it.
Inspector McHugh then informed Judge Mary Fahy that although the defendant has no previous convictions he “was known to the Garda Drugs Squad as being involved in drugs”. He added that he couldn’t say whether that involvement had ceased or not.
Noting that the defendant had failed to turn up for a previous court sitting Judge Fahy said that he had “treated it as if it was of no consequence”. She convicted and sentenced Nugent to a total of five months jail and fined him €300 payable forthwith. Leave to appeal was granted.
