John Briscoe received a six-year prison sentence at Galway District Court

John Briscoe showed the gardai 52 ecstasy tablets when they entered the house and he told them he had more stashed away upstairs. He took them to his bedroom where he produced a shoe box full of tablets. He told them he was getting paid €1500 to mind the tablets for another person, whom he refused to name.John Briscoe (32), No 1 Mingban, Ballycrissaune, Portumna, received a six-year prison sentence at Galway District Court last Friday afternoon after pleading guilty to having 9,640 ecstasy tablets, with a street value of €96,460, in his possession which were for sale or supply to others at his home on July 16, 2006.Briscoe, whose date of birth is July 8, 1975, and co-accused, Philip O’Dwyer (24), Ballykeeland Road, Carrick-on-Suir, Co. Tipperary, were both arrested and detained for questioning after gardai raided Briscoe’s home in the early hours of July 16, 2006, and gatecrashed a birthday party which was in full swing at the time.O’Dwyer pleaded guilty last week also to being found in possession of 195 ecstasy tablets, worth €1950, at Briscoe’s address in Portumna, on July 16, 2006, which were for sale or supply to another.Garda Shaun Durkan of the Galway Drugs Unit gave evidence that Gardai, acting on confidential information, obtained a search warrant and went to Briscoe’s house at 12.15 a.m. on the date in question.Garda Durkan said that while he did not accept this explanation there was no evidence or proof available to suggest otherwise. He said the 9,464 tablets seized were valued at €10 each. He said he and his colleagues were surprised to find such a large amount of ecstasy in such a rural setting as Briscoe’s house was situated in a very isolated area between Portumna and Ballinasloe.Garda Durkan said a party was in full swing at the time which Briscoe had organised to celebrate his birthday and 15 people were present. Some of them had arrived that day or a few days beforehand at the house. The court heard Briscoe is a native of Portumna and is an unemployed tiler with no previous convictions for drug offences.
Garda Durkan said the guests were searched and O’Dwyer was found to be in possession of 195 ecstasy tablets. He said he had just bought them from Briscoe and he had intended selling them to his friends.Garda Durkan said O’Dwyer was a native of Carrick-on-Suir and since this incident had occurred he had gone home to live with his parents and had not come to the attention of the Gardai since. He said he had been very co-operative when questioned.Both men were described as being recreational drugs users and the court was told O’Dwyer was no longer taking drugs.Bernard Madden, SC, for Briscoe, said his client regularly takes hash and “Speed” and has a long history of drug use. He said that his client was not addicted and was not a “junkie”. He said Briscoe was at the lower end of the drug hierarchy and could not name the person he was holding the drugs for out of fear for his own safety.
Mr. John O’Donnell, BL, for O’Dwyer, said his client had only been supplying himself and his mates with the drug. He said O’Dwyer had been taking drugs at the time but was now back at home under the watchful eye of his parents and the local Sergeant in Carrick, who had told the probation service he would be very surprised if O’Dwyer ever got into trouble again.Judge Raymond Groarke sentenced Briscoe to six years in prison and he sentenced O’Dwyer to nine months.