Courts

Garda’s career ‘went up in smoke’ after he was found with two bags of cocaine

Shane O’Sullivan (26) fined €400 at Kerry court for having drug for sale or supply

Judge David Waters told Killarney District Court the fact that the accused was a probationary garda was an aggravating factor
Judge David Waters told Killarney District Court the fact that the accused was a probationary garda was an aggravating factor
Anne Lucey
Wed Jan 29 2025 - 13:30

A young garda’s career “went up in smoke” after he was found with two bags of cocaine down a laneway in Killarney, a court has heard.

Shane O’Sullivan (26) of Banard, Gneeveguilla, Rathmore, Co Kerry, pleaded guilty to a charge of having cocaine for sale or supply in the early hours on February 6th, 2023, at Well Lane, Killarney. The offence is contrary to Section 15 of the Misuse of Drugs Act.

Insp Darren Reid told Killarney District Court that Insp Eoin Donovan and another garda were on patrol in Killarney at 3.20am and observed two males acting suspiciously.

Two deal bags of white powder were found on Shane O’Sullivan who was conveyed to Killarney Garda station. Further searches were conducted and he admitted ownership of the powder and that it was cocaine, Insp Reid said.

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Electronic communication on O’Sullivan’s phone showed he had sourced cocaine from a third party to be provided from himself to a friend down the lane. There was a payment on Revolut.

“He was a serving member of An Garda Síochána at the time,” the inspector said.

Padraig O’Connell, solicitor for the defendant, said his client was a very young man and was accompanied by his parents in court. His client was a probationary garda at the time and he immediately resigned his position from An Garda Síochána, he said.

This was “an error”; he bought two bags of cocaine and one was for his friend since childhood – they had grown up together and played football together, the solicitor said.

As a garda he had witnessed suicide and it had a profound effect on him and he got involved in taking substances, the solicitor added. He had never come to the notice of gardaí previously, or since.

“A promising career went up in smoke,” Mr O’Connell said.

Judge David Waters said that while he might consider giving the defendant a chance for a minor first offence of minor possession or public order offences, it was not his practice to do so with Section 15 – possession for sale or supply – offences.

That this man was a garda, a probationary garda was an aggravating factor, the judge said.

“That can’t be considered minor and is an aggravating factor, ” he added.

However, he was taking into account the defendant’s guilty plea and that this was a first conviction.

He imposed a fine of €400.

A charge of possession was withdrawn by the State.