A six-year jail term was imposed today on a man caught with two batches of drugs.

'Immature' young Corkman is caught with two batches of drugs worth €55k

A SIX-year jail term was imposed today on a man caught with two batches of drugs including cocaine and cannabis with a street value of over €55,000.

Detective Garda Eoin O’Toole went to an address at Friars Street, Cork, on November 11, 2018.

Gardaí had obtained a warrant to search the home of Altan O’Connell.

The warrant had been obtained on the basis of suspected cocaine-dealing from that address.

Gardaí discovered €200 worth of cannabis and €745 in cash.

In a follow-up search, €25,000 worth of cocaine was found as well as smaller quantities of drugs including ecstasy and Ketamine and €5,000 in cash.

Four days after the initial searches there was a search at Clash Road, Ballincollig, where €30,000 worth of cannabis herb was found.

Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin imposed a sentence of eight years on the young man at Cork Circuit Criminal Court yesterday and suspended the last two years of that.

Det. Garda O’Toole applied for an order for the destruction of all of the drugs and an order for the forfeiture of the cash totalling €5,745 to the state and the judge granted that application.

Altan O’Connell, aged 21, who previously lived at An Cusan Derry, Berrings, County Cork, was sentenced to the six years to commence today on were two charges under 15A of the Misuse of Drugs Act, for which he could have received a ten-year mandatory minimum sentence.

However, the judge said he could depart from the provisions for mandatory sentencing in this case and took account of factors including the defendant’s youth.

The six-year sentence will run concurrently with four years he got last year for another 15A offence.

In that case, he got seven years with the last three year suspended at Cork Circuit Criminal Court.

O’Connell pleaded guilty to a charge relating to July 20, 2018, at River View, Tower, Blarney, County Cork, when he had cocaine, cannabis and ecstasy in Blarney for sale or supply.

At 8pm on that date, he was stopped driving from Riverview Estate.

His car was searched and a rucksack in the boot contained most of the drugs, weighing scales and deal bags. Cannabis was found elsewhere in the car.

Defence barrister, Dermot Sheehan, said of Altan O’Connell in that case, “He seems to be an extraordinarily immature young man.

"The probation officer was so concerned about the defendant that a specialist was asked to examine him in relation to his mental health.”