Man tells court he bought heroin in bulk to avoid having to steal to feed his habit
'The only way I could sustain the habit without going out stealing was to buy in bulk - it's cheaper if you can do that'
A man addicted to heroin caught with nearly €1,000 worth of the drug has avoided jail after telling a judge he bought in bulk to avoid committing theft to feed his addiction.
"Drugs ruined my life," the defendant, Norman Purfield (45), told Tallaght District Court.
Purfield, of The Grange, Dún Laoghaire, had initially faced a charge of possession of heroin for sale or supply.
However, Judge Patricia McNamara dismissed the charge at Tallaght District Court after ruling it had not been proven beyond reasonable doubt.
Purfield had pleaded guilty instead to simple possession under Section 3 of the Misuse of Drugs Act.
The court heard that on May 1, 2022, Mr Purfield was the front-seat passenger in a car stopped by Garda Jack Lynch on Old Bawn Road, Tallaght. The court heard that both occupants appeared nervous and two small bags of suspected heroin were seen being discarded beside the vehicle.
Purfield initially refused to accompany gardaí and was arrested under Section 15 of the Misuse of Drugs Act before being brought to Tallaght Garda Station. He was found with 6.8 grams of heroin, worth an estimated €952.
File image.
News in 90 Seconds - June 22nd
When questioned, he told gardaí the drugs were for personal use and said he had been using heavily at the time.
'I bought it in bigger packets,' he told the court. 'The only way I could sustain the habit without going out stealing was to buy in bulk - it's cheaper if you can do that.'
He claimed he had paid just €300 for the heroin, despite its estimated street value of almost €1,000, and said the money came from his social welfare payments.
Purfield added: 'Drugs ruined my life. I'm fighting every day. I'm on 20mls of methadone now and hoping to come off it. I could go cold turkey if I got the chance to go to treatment.'
Defence solicitor Eddie O'Connor said his client had a long-standing heroin addiction but was now trying to turn his life around.
Judge McNamara noted that while gardaí recovered a significant quantity of heroin, there were no weighing scales, no drug paraphernalia, and no observations of Mr Purfield supplying drugs. Gardaí had also said the defendant had been fully co-operative and now accepted that the drugs were likely for personal use.
'That's still quite a lot,' the judge remarked, before convicting him of simple possession. 'But I accept your explanation and your willingness to engage with treatment.'
She imposed a three-month sentence, suspended for 12 months, on condition that Purfield attend a drug treatment programme in Deonach, Tallaght.
The court heard that Purfield has 42 previous convictions, including three for drug-related offences.
'You'll have to sign the bond and stay out of trouble,' Judge McNamara warned. 'If you don't attend, the gardaí can bring you back in and the sentence will be imposed.'
Funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme.
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