A DISTRICT Court Judge has told ‘young aspiring professionals’ who take cocaine that they are supporting a ‘murderous enterprise’ and contributing to the profits of ‘dangerous men’.
Judge James McNulty made the remarks when hearing over 13 cases of young people facing cocaine possession charges, arising from Kinsale 7s last year.
He said many are an example of ‘the gifted, privileged, spoilt generation who have become vulgarised by excess’.
He said he was ‘astounded’ by the details of most of the offences which occurred in broad daylight with ‘cocaine being consumed openly and shamelessly’.
Several people were convicted at both Bandon and Clonakilty court in recent weeks, with fines varying from €700 to €1,000.
In one case, a pharmacist from Tralee received a 30-day jail sentence.
Judge McNulty said that if the defendants and their peers choose to buy cocaine for their amusement then they are supporting ‘what is literally a murderous business.’
‘They are contributing to the profits of dangerous men who will mind their patch, collect their debts and grow their profits by doing anything that needs to be done. This is what they are supporting.’
He said that those who take cocaine have to accept the social and moral responsibilities of what they are doing and that it’s a ‘highly addictive drug which fuels a lot of serious crime.’
He added that all those convicted and their peers ‘are aspiring professionals feeding the monsters and the monster eats up the poor and needy and spits them out.’
He also spoke of his surprise to hear of the ‘litany of young professionals’ who have placed their careers in jeopardy and he mentioned a court sitting in December when another eight people were convicted for cocaine at the Kinsale 7s.
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