Gardaí found drugs in the possession of a man who was “acting suspicious” in Waterford over a year ago, the District Court heard.
Stefan Maher (28) of 3 Baker’s Lot, Kickham Street, Carrick-on-Suir, Co. Tipperary appeared before a sitting of Waterford District Court last month before Judge Peter White, where he pleaded guilty to being in possession of diamorphine (otherwise known as heroin). This arose from an incident where he was searched by Gardaí in 2024.
The court was told that on 4 December 2024, Gardaí were on patrol in Waterford City when they encountered a man, who was identified as the accused, who appeared to be “acting suspicious.” After a search, Garda members found €70 worth of diamorphine in his possession. It was noted that the accused was co-operative with Gardaí before and after the search and has previous convictions for unrelated matters.
The accused was represented by solicitor Ken Cunningham, who indicated that his client has underlying mental health issues, no active opiate addiction, and is “anxious to avoid a conviction.”
Mr. Cunningham asked Judge White if the matter could be adjourned for a period of time to give the accused a chance to prove himself and come to no further Garda attention.
The Judge asked the solicitor if the Probation Service would be of more assistance to his client, but Mr. Cunningham said he didn’t believe this was required as the offence occurred in 2024.
He added that the accused was “co-operative”, has no previous drug-related convictions, and no ongoing substance misuse problems. Judge White said that he would give the accused “a chance to prove himself” by not coming to any further Garda attention for the next 12 months.
The case was then put back to 18 February 2027, when it will be reviewed again.
Funded by the Court Reporting Scheme
Robyn Power
