A former member of Boyzone who used his car to chauffeur his drug boss around Dublin to distribute heroin deals has had his sentence adjourned to May 3rd. Richard Rock (24), of Roebuck Road, Clonskeagh, pleaded guilty to possessing £40 worth of heroin at the Northbrook Hotel, Northbrook Road, Ranelagh. He also pleaded guilty before Judge Elizabeth Dunne, at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, to allowing his vehicle to be used to carry drugs on the same date, June 2nd, 1998.
His father, singer Dickie Rock, broke down in the witness-box as he said: "My son has already received a sentence over the last two years due to publicity he did not deserve because of me." Det Garda Tom O'Dwyer told Mr Des Zaiden, prosecuting, that four men were arrested after heroin and drug paraphernalia were found in a room at the Northbrook Hotel when gardai raided it following a surveillance operation.
Rock and his "main man", John Murphy, were stopped on the stairs to the hotel room and a deal of heroin valued £40 was found in Rock's pocket. Heroin worth £3,000 was found on Murphy. Det Garda O'Dwyer said Rock had driven to Ballyfermot to pick up Murphy and bring him to the hotel.
They had planned to then drive to various locations in the city centre to distribute drugs. Rock's car was seized and searched by gardai and nothing was found in it. He admitted he had been using heroin and methadone for three years.
Rock said he had worked for Murphy as a DJ in Sides nightclub, Dame Street, and used to get physeptone from him. Murphy (49), of Blackditch Road, Ballyfermot, was given a five years' suspended sentence on January 20th last.
Mr Patrick Gageby SC, defending, said Rock lived with his parents. He had a girlfriend and was employed in a shop in town.
He said that since Rock was arrested he had dealt with his drug problem as an in-patient at Beaumont Hospital under a three-week detox programme. He also spent six weeks in the Rutland Centre and was now drug-free.
Mr Rock snr said his son had left Boyzone because of a "musical disagreement". He said he was concerned that if his son joined Boyzone it would have an adverse effect on his Leaving Certificate. He said his son got "mixed up" in drugs when he went to Spain and started taking ecstasy and smoking heroin.
Mr Gageby asked Judge Dunne to consider that his client had no previous convictions. He said Rock had since worked as a trainee hairdresser for one a year and had starred in a pantomime in the Olympia Theatre.
He submitted that the matter could be disposed of under the Probation Act or by way of a community service order.