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07 Jan 2026

Judge gives self confessed drug dealer six months to prove he's drugs free

The defendant, who cannot be named due to an anonymity order having been imposed in the case, was caught when he was stopped and spoken to by members of a routine police patrol in the city centre on January 20, 2024

Rowdy scenes at Derry Magistrate's Court as anti lock down protesters disrupted proceedings

Derry Crown Court

Reporter:

Court Reporter

06 Jan 2026 11:00 AM

Email:

news@derrynow.com

A self confessed cocaine and cannabis dealer has been given six months to prove he's now drugs free at Derry Crown Court. 
The defendant, who cannot be named due to an anonymity order having been imposed in the case, was caught when he was stopped and spoken to by members of a routine police patrol in the city centre on January 20, 2024.
Judge Roseanne McCormack KC was also told by a defence barrister that the defendant's family have now moved to England to get him away from his former drugs peers. 
He now works as a labourer in the London area where he also volunteers with a local charity to carry out pro bono housing renovation projects.
A prosecution barrister said the police wanted to speak to another man walking with the defendant but as they did so the defendant acted in such a way as to attract the suspicion of the officers. 
They searched him and found a mobile 'phone which was seized and subjected to a forensic examination. On the 'phone the forensic officers  found evidence of the defendant supplying both cocaine and cannabis.
Judge McCormack said the defendant admitted committing the offences in order to finance his own drugs addictions.
Defence barrister Fergal McCormack handed in to the court character references from the defendant's current employer and from the charity in London which confirmed his voluntary work with them.
"There has been no re-offending. His family all moved to England to remove him from his former associates and he's now in full time employ there. He acknowledges his offending and he has turned a new page in terms of his former addictions", he said.
Judge McCormack said she was impressed by the steps the defendant's family had taken by relocating to England. She said she was adjourning sentencing in the case until the first week in June. 
In the interim she said she wanted the defendant to undergo, at his own expense, drugs tests to prove he was entirely off illegal drugs.
"If the results of these tests are lodged in court and come back clean, the court would be entitled to step away from a custodial sentence", she said.
The defendant was then released on continuing bail until he's sentenced in six months time.

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