Shaughnessy denied being a drug dealer. He said he was a heroin addict and that he had bought enough drugs for his own use which would last him a few days. He said the money found in his jacket was his own, as he had received €8,500 as settlement of a claim in 2005 and the money had been put into his sister's bank account for him. He said he had some of the money on him that evening as he was going to buy a car to give to his sister.

Judge Mary Fahy said she had been on the bench for over 15 years and she had never seen a case as 'clean-cut' as this against any other accused. She convicted him of drug dealing. In relation to the obstruction of gardaí on two other occasions, Inspector Marie Skehill said on 11 March 2006, gardaí went to search No. 9 Munster Avenue and Shaughnessy dived across the entrance to the sitting room blocking their entrance.

Then on 4 May 2006, Shaughnessy waded into the canal near the Garda Station when gardaí said they were going to search him. He emptied his pockets into the water and then waded across the canal to the other side.

Judge Fahy sentenced Shaughnessy to nine months in prison for the drug dealing offence, which the accused contested and she imposed a consecutive six-month sentence on him for the obstruction of gardaí at the house in Munster Avenue. A further three-month consecutive sentence was imposed for the obstruction of gardaí at the canal. Leave to appeal was granted.

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