DEALS ON WHEELS | 

Drug dealer caught cycling through a red light on stolen child’s bike is jailed

Jonathan O’Brien (32) claimed the bicycle was his cousin’s when gardaí stopped and questioned him, he then “changed his mind” and said it belonged to his nephew, a court heard.

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A drug dealer caught cycling through a red light on a stolen child’s bike has been jailed for six months.

Jonathan O’Brien (32) claimed the bicycle was his cousin’s when gardaí stopped and questioned him, he then “changed his mind” and said it belonged to his nephew, a court heard.

Months earlier, he was caught selling tranquiliser tablets on a city street.

O’Brien, a father-of-two with an address at Shelmalier Road, East Wall, pleaded guilty at Dublin District Court to charges including possession of stolen property and having drugs with intent to sell or supply.

The court heard gardaí were on patrol at Poplar Row on September 16 last year when they saw the accused, dressed in black, cycling what appeared to be a child’s bicycle through a red light.

He was stopped and asked to account for the bike. O’Brien told the garda it was his cousin’s, then “changed his mind” and said it was his nephew’s. Gardaí believed it was stolen and arrested him.

Separately, on March 4 last year, gardaí spotted O’Brien in a suspected drugs transaction in Summerhill in the north inner city, handing a tray of tablets to a known drug user.

He was searched and had seven trays of Alprazolam worth €210. He said he was under financial pressure at the time.

O’Brien was on a bicycle on Prince’s Street on January 4, 2020 when he failed to stop for a garda, he was caught after a chase.

Gardaí found a small amount of cannabis and a mobile phone worth €950 which he was unable to account for.

He was abusive and threatening to gardaí as he was arrested. O’Brien, who had a number of previous convictions, had been in custody since late December when he appeared in court.

The accused was actively involved in his children’s lives, his lawyer said.

O’Brien had a cannabis addiction for some time and there were difficulties in his own background.

His mother died when he was young and he had effectively raised himself. He got involved in petty crime but had “calmed down significantly,” the lawyer said.

O’Brien apologised for having the mobile phone which was given back to the victim.

Judge Bryan Smyth said he felt a custodial sentence was warranted. He sentenced O’Brien to two consecutive three-month prison terms. Other charges were taken into consideration by the court.