A wheelchair-bound drug dealer who distributed cannabis across Limerick and Kerry has been jailed for two years. Jason O’Sullivan, (33) Ballyhahill, Co Limerick was arrested in Kerry but his sentencing hearing had to be heard in Limerick on Monday because Tralee Courthouse is not wheelchair accessible. Both O’Sullivan and his partner Dawn McCarthy (33) also with an address at Ballyhahill pleaded guilty to possession of almost €12,000 worth of cannabis for sale or supply on December 6, 2010.
Nine deals of cannabis were found in Dawn McCarthy’s handbag when Gardai stopped her car at Tonevane, outside Tralee. Jason O’Sullivan was in the passenger seat and claimed responsibility for the drugs.
A further 28 deals were discovered behind the fridge of their home where they lived with their 14-year-old son. The total value of the drugs was €11,700.
The court heard McCarthy, who is her partner’s carer, drove him to make cannabis drops across Limerick and the Tralee area of Kerry. O’Sullivan told gardai he pressured his girlfriend of 15 years, to participate in the drugs enterprise.
Sergeant Declan Liddane head of the Kerry drugs unit said O’Sullivan knew he was less likely to be stopped by gardai because of his disability and the gang who supplied him with the drugs “knew they could depend on him because of that”.
The court heard O’Sullivan suffered catastrophic spinal injuries following a motor bike crash in August 2008 and is permanently confined to a wheelchair.
Defence Counsel Brian McInerney argued that prison would be a lot more onerous for his client by virtue of his disability and said Judge Moran could not treat him in the same way as he would an able bodied person.
Before imposing sentence Judge Moran said O’Sullivan while not the owner of the drugs was part of the structure of dealing and was more than just a “store man or courier” and this was reflected in messages found on his phone and that of his partners.
Stating that the appropriate sentence was four years in jail, Judge Moran agreed to suspend the final half of the sentence because of O’Sullivan’s disability.
The Judge suspended all of Dawn McCarthy’s four year sentence.
