Waringstown man (35) who lost three brothers tragically within a year, was 'heavily abusing drugs' Craigavon court hears

Michael Hogan, aged 35, from Beech Meadows, Waringstown, faced a number of drug offences when he appeared at Craigavon Magistrates Court on Wednesday.

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He was charged with possession of the Class C drug Pregabalin with intent to supply, possession of the Class C drug Diazepam and the attempted theft of household items from B&M Bargains valued at £6.50 on February 15 last year.

A Prosecutor revealed that on January 30 last year a manager from B&M Bargains in Armagh reported to police two people, a male and female, had been in the store and stole around £110 worth of household goods.

Police went to the store and took CCTV footage of both individuals, however, at that time were unable to identify the suspects. Officers encouraged the manager to contact them if the pair re-entered the store.

The Prosecutor revealed that two weeks later on February 15, last year, police received a report from the manager of the B&M Bargains store claiming the same suspects were back in the store “filling a trolley”. When police arrived they were both still in the store with the male identifying himself as Michael Hogan.

Both defendants at the time lived in Richhill, Co Armagh. When police searched Hogan they found some items in his pocket. While moving to a quieter part of the store, a PSNI officer spotted Hogan discard a rolled up dark glove. Within the glove police found four strips of blue tablets labelled Diazepam.

The Prosecutor said police found additional drugs on Hogan including three strips of Pregabalin.

During a search of Hogan and his partner’s home in Richhill, police also found a number of items including a microwave and toaster plus more Class C drugs including Diazepam 40 tablets across four strips and Pregabalin – 420 tablets across 30 strips plus other drugs.

"There was a large array of mobile phones and tablets,” said the Prosecutor. “There was a notebook containing drug price lists and a suspected customer list and scales.”

He replied no comment on both theft allegations. “When asked about the drugs he told police during interview he doesn’t supply any drugs but uses them to help his mental health issues and the notebook found related to his own price list that he pays for the drugs that he buys,” said the Prosecutor.

Hogan’s lawyer Mr Andrew Thompson said his co-accused has already been dealt with. “The accused accepts his part in the joint enterprise. The two of them, in interview is my instruction, had adopted the position that she was more responsible for the theft and he took responsibility for the drugs.”

Mr Thompson said Hogan told Probation the pair were “under a little bit of financial pressure”. He revealed his client had three brothers all die within a year in 2022/23 through suicide and explained Hogan had in those two years been “heavily abusing drugs”.

"He does accept that he was funding his own habit by selling some of the Prebabalin or Diazepam,” said the barrister, adding Probation could help him.

District Judge Michael Ranaghan imposed a Combination Order on Hogan including 18 months Probation supervision and 60 hours Community Service.