CONVICTED Limerick criminals, Kieran and Brian Collopy have been jailed for eight years for what a judge has said was “peddling the most dangerous of drugs from the top of the pyramid”.
Passing sentence at Limerick Circuit Court on Wednesday, Judge Tom O’Donnell recalled the evidence of detective sergeant Alan Cullen who said that on December 15, drug squad Gardaí raided a joint property at 34/36 St Ita’s Street and found a heroin cutting operation underway with the two brothers having “ran themselves in to a corner trying to escape”.
The court heard that approximately ten ounces of heroin worth just over €37,000 wrapped in pieces of black refuse sacks were found on a kitchen counter.
The drugs were in various stages of preparation and found together with drug dealing paraphernalia and cash.
Detective Sergeant Cullen said that Kieran Collopy (40) of St Ita’s Street came out of an upstairs toilet and Brian Collopy (43) of Kilonan, Ballysimon was found in an upstairs bedroom.
Large “deals” of drugs, that would be sold to the street sellers to cut up, were found on sideboard of the kitchen which was common to the two houses.
Heroin dust and powder was also found scattered around the kitchen sideboards.
Judge O’Donnell said that “scene of the crime photographs were shown to the court to give a sense of the operation and that further evidence of the commercial drug dealing operation was found on the stairs of the house.
A saucepan with traces of heroin was found upstairs in the bathroom where Kieran Collopy was and “wet heroin” was found in the bath.
When questioned at the scene by gardai who were working of confidential information, both of the Collopy brothers denied involvement but later pleaded guilty to charges of the possession of drugs for sale or supply contrary to Section 15A of the Misuse of Drugs Act.
More than €1,100 in cash was found in the house.
“It is clear that the operation was going on full tilt until Gardaí arrived and then they tried to dispose of the drugs cache in vain.
The court heard that Brian Collopy’s clothes revealed no connection to the drugs in the house but his phone was found in the kitchen next to the deals.
Kieran Collopy had traces of the drugs on his clothes and footwear.
“They were effectively caught red-handed”, Judge O’Donnell said.
The court heard that the pleas of guilty were conveyed at the earliest possible opportunity by the brothers and thus saved a great deal of court and garda time.
Both Brian and Kieran Collopy, who come from a large family of seven brothers, have a number of previous convictions both had served significant sentences for threatening to kill the same man on separate occasions.
Passing sentence, Judge O’Donnell said that the nature of the drugs involved was a particularly aggravating factor.
“Heroin is a dangerous, highly addictive, insidious and pervasive drug that is an absolute scourge in society
“It can destroy people and have a devastating effect on people, their families and as well as on society as a whole.
“These men were not couriers or under duress and pressure, they were active participants at a very high level in this strictly commercial enterprise
They were at the top of the drug trade pyramid, he said.
Judge O’Donnell said that the sentencing court could deviate from the mandatory minimum ten-year sentence if it deemed to be unjust to impose such a term.
The very early pleas were of major material assistance and neither defendant sought books of evidence, trial time, or forensic analysis from Garda investigations.
“They have an acceptance of their responsibility and are anxious to put matters behind them. It has been said that both men are at somewhat of a crossroads in life.”
However, the court heard that this was a “covert, calculated commercial operation carried out for the peddling of drugs which are dangerous to society.
“Those caught must bear the responsibility for their actions”, he said as he jailed them for eight years each.
There was little reaction from the brothers as they nodded to family members in the public gallery before being taken back into custody.
