A MAN who was caught with nearly €40,000 worth of heroin and a large haul of stolen property has been given a nine-year sentence.
Alan Phelan (39), New Park, Kiltipper, Tallaght, who has 17 convictions for stealing cars, was also sentenced for having a car which had been stolen shortly before. Gardaí were able to return the car before its owner realised it was missing.
Phelan has 67 previous convictions including car theft, robbery and drugs offences.
He pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possessing 250 grams of heroin at his home in March 2010, possessing stolen items at his home in November 2010, burglary and unlawful use of a car at Knocklyon Road and Lansdowne Road in January 2011.
Judge Yvonne Murphy imposed a five-year sentence for the drug possession and a consecutive four years for the remaining counts. She suspended the final two years after taking into account Phelan’s early guilty pleas and co-operation with gardaí.
Det Garda Kevin McGrath told Derek Cooney, prosecuting, that a drug search was carried out at Phelan’s home after a tip-off. Heroin worth €37,591 was found in his bedside locker. He told gardaí he had been holding it for someone else in return for an ounce of heroin for his personal use.
He was released on bail and several months later, gardaí searched his home again. They found stolen property including a lottery ticket, a PSP games console and brandy. Phelan made full admissions and all property was returned to owners.
Three months later he was spotted in the early morning driving a car with no lights on which gardaí discovered had been stolen a few hours previously. They also found a handbag which had been stolen during a burglary that same night.
Gerry O’Brien SC, defending, said Phelan had co-operated with gardaí after every arrest and had entered early guilty pleas.