Courts / Dublin / Report

Full time carer caught with heroin in a mayonnaise bucket sentenced to five years

Date
2014-10-21
Stage
Sentence
Primary locality
Dublin
County
Dublin

Summary

James Noonan, aged 21, was sentenced to five years' imprisonment after being caught with nearly €37,000 of heroin in a 10‑litre mayonnaise bucket. He pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possessing heroin for sale or supply at Balgaddy fields, Ronanstown, on 17 April 2012. Noonan lives with his grandparents and works full‑time as a carer for his grandmother, who suffers from liver disease and dementia. Judge Mary Ellen Ring heard the case in January and, after a delay to benefit the grandmother, imposed the sentence. She suspended the last three years on strict conditions, requiring Noonan to keep the peace, behave well for three years and remain under Probation Service supervision for 12 months after release. Noonan had no prior convictions, and a probation report placed him at low risk of re‑offending. The court noted that he had been drinking and using a small amount of drugs at the time of the offence.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Full time carer caught with heroin in a mayonnaise bucket sentenced to five years. Charges or matters: possessing heroin for sale or supply at Balgaddy fields, Ronanstown on April 17, 2012. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

Case subjects

James Noonan

Defendant

Charges: possessing heroin for sale or supply at Balgaddy fields, Ronanstown on April 17, 2012 (Admitted)

Plea: Guilty

Outcome: Judge Ring suspended the last three years of the sentence on strict conditions including that Noonan keeps the peace and is of good behaviour for three years and stays under supervision of the Probation Service for 12 months on his release from custody. Garda Colin Sullivan told Fiona McGowan BL, prosecuting, at the sentence hearing last January, that Noonan was spotted walking through waste ground at Balgaddy fields, between two housing estates while carrying a ten-litre mayonnaise bucket.

Places mentioned

Residence
  • Nangor Road
Court Venue
  • Dublin
  • Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
Incident
  • Lynch's Lane

Topics

Drugs Stage Sentence

Related court reports

Read the original CNI report

Help us improve this report

Your request is saved for the newsroom's next review. It does not immediately change the published report.

Prefer email? Send a correction request.

Request a review

We will use it only to contact you about this request.