Six people have been convicted of drug possession in Fermoy, Co Cork.
The prosecutions arose from garda searches following the death of 19-year-old Padraig O'Keeffe of a suspected cocaine overdose in June.
Gardaí conducted 48 searches in the fortnight after Padraig O'Keeffe's death and found drugs including cocaine, ecstasy tablets, amphetamines and cannabis in 30 searches.
Many of the searches were at the houses of friends and associates of the dead teenager.
Judge Michael Patwell told the six that even though the quantities of drugs were small, their money was trickling through to major drug dealers. He said that it was fuelling drug wars that were not only claiming criminals' lives but those of innocent people too, like the plumber Anthony Campbell.
Judge Patwell said 'Anthony Campbell could have been looking forward to coming to Cork for the Jazz Festival this weekend, but instead he was dead'.
The body of the 19-year-old construction worker, Padraig O'Keeffe, was found on a quiet country road outside his home near Rathcormac in north Cork in June. He had suffered a head injury in a fall, but there was cocaine in his system and his death is believed to have resulted from a cocaine overdose.
Fines of €150 were imposed on those convicted of possessing small amounts of drugs and other prosecutions are pending as a result of the garda searches.
