A Dublin father of one who “became beholden to unsavoury characters” has been jailed for three and a half years after he held over €150,000 worth of drugs and a gun in order to pay off a drug debt.
Mark Kavanagh (39) of Buirg An Ri Glen, Balgaddy, Clondalkin pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of cocaine worth €135,000 and cannabis herb worth €18,000 at his home on April 2, 2013.
He also admitted possession of a firearm after that was later discovered in the house.
Judge Martin Nolan said Kavanagh became addicted to cocaine and “became beholden to unsavoury characters”.
Kavanagh told the court he had never held drugs at his home before and had been holding the drugs and the gun as he had been told that by doing so it would pay off a €700 drug debt he had.
Judge Nolan accepted Kavanagh had a blemish free character, was candid with gardaí and appeared from testimonials handed in on his behalf, “to be a very good man and useful member of society”.
“Obviously he should have refused to hold these items to pay off his drug debt,” the judge said.
Garda Dominic Downing told Diarmuid Collins BL, prosecuting that Kavanagh’s home was searched following a garda tip off. The drugs were discovered in a garden shed.
Kavanagh admitted his role in a subsequent garda interview and claimed he had forgotten about the revolver when it was later discovered. Shotgun cartridges and gloves were also found with the gun.
He initially claimed he had the gun because there was a threat to his father’s life but later accepted this wasn’t true.
He told gardaí he had been minding the drugs and gun for two or three weeks after a person he didn’t know, knocked at his door and said that if he minded them, his drug debt would be cleared.
He was released on bail, has no previous convictions and has not come to garda attention since.
Dominic McGinn SC defending, said a letter from Kavanagh’s father outlined how his son suddenly became involved in such a offence, something which he claimed was “out of character”.
The letter stated that Kavanagh suffered both depression and had episodes of self harm as a teenager but came to terms with them through counselling.
He said his son was “a pillar” to the family when Kavanagh’s sister became addicted to drugs and he (Kavanagh’s father) and his wife took custody of her three children, their grandchildren.
Kavanagh’s mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer in January 2013 and died in August this year. This together, with Kavanagh’s wife being diagnosed as having a long-term medical condition, led to him becoming involved in drugs.
“He got himself into bad company and into the drug world. He found himself in very, very serious trouble and in a position he felt he could not get out of,” Mr McGinn told Judge Nolan.
“He is not a career criminal and he will not re-offend. He caught himself up in something and was out of his depth,” counsel said before he asked the court to take into account the fact that Kavanagh co-operated with gardaí, made admissions and pleaded guilty.
A number of testimonials were handed into court including two from local clubs were Kavanagh is a football coach and from the Marie Keating Foundation outlining how he has assisted them in numerous fundraising events.
