by Andrew Carey
A CLERICAL officer at a Limerick hospital sold drugs in a shopping centre car park to help pay his mortgage.
Barry O’Regan (37) from Norwood Park, Ballysimon was approved for a 100 per cent mortgage and, despite working as a full time clerical officer at St John’s Hospital, fell into financial difficulties and turned to selling and using drugs.
Detective Garda Pat Crowley told Limerick Circuit Court that along with other members of the divisional drug squad, he saw Mr O’Regan selling drugs from his car at the Childers Road retail park car park at 8.30 pm on November 23, 2010.
A tupperware tub found in the driver’s door contained five deals of cannabis resin and a single deal of cannabis herb. €200 was also found in the car and when arrested, Mr O’Regan admitted being involved in drug dealing.
Further quantities of drugs were found in his house including cannabis herb, cannabis resin, cocaine, BzP, amphetamines and methalone.
Over €1,300 in cash was also discovered along with a digital scales, sealable bags, travel documents to Amsterdam and an extendible baton.
Both at the time of arrest and under questioning at the garda station, he made a full admission and assisted the Gardaí in their case against him.
He held the full-time pensionable position of clerical officer at St John’s Hospital earning in the region of €2,260 a month but his employment was terminated on December 10 last.
He fell into financial difficulties trying to repay the 100 per cent mortgage he obtained from First Active at the “height and tail end of the property bubble”.
Judge Carroll Moran acknowledged that the father-of-three was cooperative with Gardaí, was of previous good character and suffered severely by losing his job.
Referring to his financial difficulties, Judge Moran said that in hindsight, 100 per cent mortgages shouldn’t have been given and the defendant was also fuelling a drug addiction.
Imposing a two year prison sentence, Judge Moran said that while he “didn’t fit the usual profile of those before the court on similar matters”, Barry O’Regan was “dealing systematically in drugs”, even if cannabis “was not the most insidious of drugs”.
