Car salesman had methadone to wean himself off heroin after his wife's death, court told

Gerard McCormack (44) was ordered by Judge John O’Leary to donate €350 to Merchants Quay Ireland and the judge said he would strike out the charge. The defendant admitted possession of methadone at Castlegrange Grove, Clonee, Dublin 15, on February 15, 2020.

Garda Simon Cadam told Blanchardstown District Court he obtained a warrant and searched the defendant’s address, where he found two bottles of methadone, with a street value of €100.

The court heard McCormack had no previous convictions.

Defence solicitor Danielle O’Sullivan said McCormack was working in car sales and had three children.

His wife tragically died in 2018 and for a short period of time McCormack was smoking heroin, as a way of coping with his wife’s death.

Ms O’Sullivan said McCormack bought the methadone as he planned to use it to wean himself off heroin.

She said McCormack was now completely clean and had not come to garda attention since. She asked the judge to leave him without a conviction.

Judge O’Leary said he had sympathy but heroin would not help the defendant, and he did not quite understand why he had the methadone.

Ms O’Sullivan said that for a short period of time McCormack fell into using the drug.