Man who loses bag with € 40,000 worth of cocaine calls Gardaí to report his disappearance

A young Dublin drug courier who lost a bag containing € 40,000 worth of cocaine called a Garda station to report his disappearance, the Cork Circuit Criminal Court has heard.

Darren Barnwell (20) from Blackhall Parade in Dublin 7 made the trip to Cork City by train with drugs two years ago.

The incident occurred on August 16, 2018 when Barnwell panicked after getting off the train and realized he was out of cocaine.

He became involved in a dispute with security personnel who refused to allow him to search for his lost property.

Barnwell pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine to supply to others on August 16, 2018.

Detective Sergeant Kieran O’Sullivan told the court that Barnwell became enraged with security personnel at the Kent station around 2 p.m. on the date in question regarding the lost bag.

One person, believed to be Mr. Barnwell, called a Garda to report the loss of a purse.

Mr. Barnwell then remembered that he had gone to a store on nearby MacCurtain Street.

She returned to the store and met her bag, which had been found by the staff. They hadn’t looked at the content.

Sergeant O’Sullivan said Gardaí detained a panicked Mr. Barnwell outside the store.

When they opened the paper bag they discovered a large amount of cocaine in it. When it was analyzed it had a value of € 40,000.

Mr. Barnwell admitted that he had made the train journey from Dublin bringing cocaine with him.

He has no criminal record. On the date of the crime, he was working as a courier who had to deliver the cocaine to someone else.

Sergeant O’Sullivan said that in the period since the incident, Mr. Barnwell had not attracted the attention of Gardaí.

In sentencing, Judge Sean O’Donnabhain said it was “an unusual crime.”

“I am justified in imposing a totally suspended sentence. It is rare that he has no prior convictions and has not come to the attention of Garda since. “

He imposed a four-year sentence, which he suspended in its entirety on condition that Mr. Barnwell maintains the peace and behaves well for a period of four years.