Cootehill man in €1m cannabis haul

A COCAINE addict who was found in possession of cannabis valued at more than €1m will be sentenced later by Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. George Keogh, (28), with an address at Corrakeeran, Lisboduff, Cootehill, owed up to €40,000 to lending agencies and drug dealers. He pleaded guilty to possession of the drugs for sale or supply at Clontarf Bay Apartments, Clontarf, on January 12, 2007. Sergeant Brendan O"Grady told prosecuting counsel, Mr. Garret Baker BL, that gardaí acting on confidential information discovered 160 kilos of cannabis in the Clontarf flat. The defendant had been a cocaine addict for up to five years. He had been working as a van driver and had a number of previous convictions for road traffic offences. Mr. Paul Burns SC, defending, said that Keogh had been roped into a scheme to sell drugs for his dealers in order to pay off a debt. Keogh was 'extremely remorseful' and realised the 'utter stupidity' of his situation. Judge Frank O"Donnell said that he wanted time to consider sentence and adjourned it to a date later this month. Keogh"s brother, Thomas, (36), of the same address, is due for sentencing in November at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after he pleaded guilty in July to possession of the same cache of cannabis, which was being held in the apartment they shared. At that hearing, the court heard that Thomas Keogh was ordered by his brother, to 'mind your own business' when he asked about the drugs. Garda evidence also stated that George, was the person mainly involved in the drugs cache; Thomas Keogh had no previous convictions and was unlikely to come before the courts again. Thomas Keogh was remanded on continuing bail for the preparation of a Probation Service report for his sentence hearing.