A repeat drugs offender with 84 previous convictions has had an extra month added to his prison sentence after he was caught with cocaine during a car stop in the early hours of the morning in south Dublin.
Conor Stewart (31), of Kilcross Court, Sandyford, Dublin 18, pleaded guilty at Dún Laoghaire District Court to possession of cocaine following a search on the Dundrum Bypass on April 9, 2022.
He was charged with unlawfully having in his possession a controlled drug, namely cocaine to the value of €280, at Dundrum Garda Station, contrary to Section 3 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977, and contrary to Section 27(1) of the same Act, as substituted by Section 6 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1984.
Garda Brian Gallagher told the court that Stewart was a passenger in a car stopped by gardaí in the early hours of April 9 three years ago. He said the defendant appeared extremely nervous, prompting a search.
The court heard that cocaine was found on Stewart’s person and he was arrested and brought to Dundrum Garda Station, where he was later charged.
He was described as cooperative throughout the arrest and entered an early guilty plea.
The court heard Stewart has 84 previous convictions in total, including 12 under the Misuse of Drugs Act – nine for simple possession (Section 3) and three for possession with intent to supply (Section 15). He also has convictions for seven public order offences, theft, and criminal damage.
Stewart is currently serving a three-year sentence, with one year suspended, imposed on April 4 for other offences.
Judge Anne Watkin noted that the charge before the court was a Section 3 offence and said the case appeared to be “more about damaging himself than others.”
She imposed a one-month sentence to run consecutively to Stewart’s current term, bringing his total sentence to three years and one month. Recognisance was fixed at €500 in the event of an appeal.