German pleads guilty to having €280,000 worth of cocaine

He pleaded guilty to being in possession of cocaine on May 20 at Cork Airport, Kinsale Road for the purpose of selling or supplying at a time when its street value exceeded €13,000 figure.

This is the threshold figure for the mandatory sentencing of up to life imprisonment or a minimum of ten years on conviction, unless a judge finds there are exceptional circumstances that enable him to depart from the mandatory provisions.

Tim O’Leary senior counsel said that he had already secured a psychiatric report on the defendant and he did not require the preparation of another report.

“However, I have had consultation with the defendant and this has taken over an hour and I require further time for consultation,” Mr O’Leary SC said.

Judge Con Murphy adjourned sentencing until November 22 and he remanded the accused in custody until that date.

A co-accused, Katrin Ruber, aged 20, of Magdatenenhousser, Weg 43, Wetzler, Germany, was arraigned on three counts on the indictment at Cork Circuit Criminal Court last week.

She admitted being in possession of cocaine on May 20 at Cork Airport, Kinsale Road, having the illegal drug for the purpose of selling or supplying, and having the cocaine at a time when its street value exceeded €13,000 figure.

In Ruber’s case, defence senior counsel, Tom Creed Ruber left home at the age of 16 and that a German social worker was appointed to look after her welfare and he suggested that the probation service should liaise with the particular social worker in Germany for the purposes of preparing the report on the defendant’s background.

Sentencing in her case was put back until February 21 2008.