Dealer had treatment for heroin need, court told

A drug dealer who underwent innovative heroinblocking treatment costing
£5,000 has been given a sevenyear suspended sentence.

Stephen Comerford (21), of Drumfin Road, Ballyfermot, had surgical
treatment to cleanse his body of heroin under a general anaesthetic at the
Welbeck Clinic in Harley Street, London, last December.

Comerford's mother, Alice, had told Judge Kieran O'Connor at an earlier
hearing in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court that she saved the money from her
restaurant business, originally to pay for refurbishing her home.

She said the operation cost £4,000 and tablets at £170 a month cost her
£1,000.

She was unaware her son was abusing drugs until the gardai told her about him.

Comerford returned from London some months ago to plead guilty to
possessing £1,400 worth of heroin for supply in Clondalkin on April 4th,
1996. He was remanded in custody awaiting sentence.

Mr Michael O'Higgins, defending, said the operation was designed to
alleviate the physical need for heroin and to enable doctors and
counsellors to carry out followup treatment.