A DRINK and drugs addict took to selling illegal cigarettes for crime bosses in a bid to fund his habits, a court has heard.
Karl Ryan (44) of 20 Burwood, Buncrana admitted selling untaxed cigarettes and rolling tobacco at 4 Cathedral Court, Church Lane, Letterkenny on February 17th 2012.
There was a loss to the State of almost €1,600 in excise duty.
Customs officers bought cigarettes from Ryan and found they did not have the excise duty stamp on them.
In a follow-up operation officers seized 2,460 cigarettes and several pouches of rolling tobacco.
Solicitor Ciaran MacLochlainn said at the time Ryan was “addicted to all sorts” and was “not the main player by any means in this.”
He added: “He was paid in cigarettes for what he did.”
The father of six had mixed “with the wrong people” when he decided to move to Letterkenny from Buncrana.
His client had since moved back to Buncrana and was receiving help.
“Mr Ryan spent eight years homeless on the streets of Dublin and there is little doubt he would have been dead had he stayed there,” said the solicitor.
Mr MacLochlainn added that Ryan had no money to pay fines or the excise duty and “does not want to return to prison.”
Judge Paul Kelly accepted that Ryan was being used by others and he adjourned the case for the preparation of a community service report.