Expat Richard O’Shea Crowley sentenced to 16 months jail for drug and firearm offences

An expat who found himself on the wrong side of the law in the Red Centre is set to spend the rest of the year behind bars.

Alice Springs Local Court. Picture: Jason Walls

An Irish expat who found himself on the wrong side of the law in the Red Centre has been given a suspended prison sentence.

Richard O’Shea Crowley, 31, was sentenced to 16 months in prison with a suspended sentence after 9 months by Judge David Bamber at Alice Springs Local Court on June 17.

His sentence was backdated to when he first placed in custody at the start of October last year.

O’Shea Crowley – originally from County Cork, Ireland – pleaded guilty to a number of drug and weapons offences last time he fronted Judge Bamber on Wednesday, June 12.

His offences included selling cannabis, possessing methamphetamines, possessing an unlicensed firearm, and possessing a stolen forklift.

Handing down the sentence, Judge Bamber said how O’Shea Crowley was “clearly” in the “business of drug dealing” and that his offending was “all serious”.

“I accept things have been somewhat tough for you in your time in custody,” Judge Bamber said.

“Yet even when arrested and in jail you still showed that you were prepared to commit offences.”

Judge Bamber noted how an institutional report came back “favourable” for O’Shea Crowley.

The $15,000 in cash which was seized during a police raid from O’Shea Crowley is also due to be surrendered to the crown.

O’Shea Crowley appeared in court wearing a black Adidas branded T-shirt and was sitting in the dock.

In between deep breaths, he kept his head down throughout much of the hearing.