Student who agreed to transport cocaine on train from Dublin to Cork fined €700

Ciaran Dempsey (22) was an "educated man from a good family" who became addicted to recreational drugs and found himself in a "horrible position".

Judge Treasa Kelly fined him €700 at Dublin District Court.

Dempsey, of Lambay View, Rush, Co Dublin, pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine for sale or supply.

The court heard that on March 4 last year, gardaí stopped the accused at Heuston Station, where he was waiting to board a train to Cork. They got a smell of cannabis from him and said they would search him.

Dempsey handed over a cigarette with a small amount of cannabis in it, gave them a false name and address and strenuously denied having any other drugs.

He was brought to Kilmainham garda station, where two packages were recovered from his under-clothing.

Two mobile phones were also seized and the contacts on one suggested he was involved in the sale or supply of drugs.

The cocaine had a total value of €2,000. Dempsey had no previous convictions.

He had made full admissions after some initial hesitancy, his solicitor Paddy McGarry told the court.

Dempsey had studied computer science in college but deferred his final year and was working in a garage. He had taken "recreational" drugs before becoming addicted and building up a large drug debt, Mr McGarry said.

Dempsey came under severe pressure from the people he owed the debt to and was "asked to ferry these drugs down to Cork". When gardaí asked his name, he "panicked".

The accused was an "educated man from a good family" who ended up in a "horrible position", Mr McGarry said.

He was now "completely clean" and the debt was no longer hanging over him.