A man who stole a confectionery van in 1994 and was caught shortly afterwards surrounded by sweets and chocolates has been jailed for five years.
Trevor Rowley (22) was caught again by gardai four years later selling heroin in St Michael's Estate in Inchicore. Rowley, single, unemployed, of Cherry Orchard Avenue, Ballyfermot, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to handling stolen property during 1994 and to having heroin for sale last year. He has five previous convictions, including the misuse of drugs and larceny, and is serving a sentence for larceny.
Mr Niall Durnin, prosecuting, said Rowley stole a van in Ballyfermot on March 3rd, 1994, which contained up to £3,000 worth of sweets, chocolate bars and cakes. While searching for him, gardai entered a house in Ballyfermot and found him in the sitting room surrounded by sweets.
Sgt Ashley O'Sullivan told Ms Isobel Kennedy that on April 30th, 1998, gardai saw Rowley at St Michael's Estate and became suspicious when they noticed him run away and place something in his mouth. Later at the Garda station, Rowley produced a bag of heroin from his mouth. It had a street value of £30.
Sgt O'Sullivan described Rowley as "helpless" at the time. Judge Kieran O'Connor said Rowley was a very sad young man who was obviously dealing in drugs to feed his habit. While his record was not bad, the drug offence showed he had a propensity for drugs.
Judge O'Connor agreed to a request by defence counsel, Mr Luigi Rea, that he review the case on December 17th rather than next January as he had intimated. He ordered Rowley to undertake drug treatment, take urinalysis tests and an educational course in English while in jail.