Owner of popular Maloneys Grocer stores caught with cocaine

The owner of a small grocery chain with stores at Coogee, Woollahra and Surry Hills has been scolded by a magistrate after he unsuccessfully tried to evade a police drug dog and flush a small amount of cocaine down a toilet at a hotel in Randwick.

The incident happened early on Sunday, June 23 at Coach and Horses Hotel in Randwick.

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The owner of a small grocery chain based at Coogee has been scolded by a magistrate after he unsuccessfully tried to evade a police drug dog and flush a small amount of cocaine down a toilet at a hotel in Randwick.

Richard Declane Maloney, 47, who owns Maloneys Grocer with stores in Coogee, Woollahra and Surry Hills, was sentenced at Waverley Local Court on Wednesday after pleading guilty to possess a prohibited drug.

Magistrate Greg Grogin sentenced him to a conditional release order for 12 months without conviction.

Richard Declane Maloney was sentenced for possess a prohibited drug.

However, Mr Grogin scolded him asking why at his age, as a responsible member of the community and as a family man, he would even consider taking illicit drugs.

“Just tell me? As if I were one of your mates at the pub, why?,” Mr Grogin said.

Mr Maloney, from Coogee, said it was a bad error of judgment and it was not a common occurrence.

The agreed facts stated police entered the Coach and Horses Hotel in Randwick about 1am on Sunday, June 23 with a police drug dog.

Mr Maloney was sentenced at Waverley Local Court on Wednesday.

Mr Maloney was seen to quickly move away to avoid the drug dog and walked toward the bathroom.

“Police followed the accused into the bathroom and observed him throw a clear resealable bag of white powder on to the side of the toilet bowl,” the facts read.

“(Police) took hold of the accused’s arm as he tried to flush the toilet.”

The drugs were seized and found to be 0.2g of cocaine.

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