Jailed for holding €256,000 drugs to repay a €5,000 money lenders debt

By Claire Henry and Eimear Dodd

A man who was holding cannabis worth over €256,000 to repay a €5,000 debt to moneylenders has been handed a prison sentence.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that Wesley McGill (45) of Rathvilly Drive, Finglas, Dublin 11, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of cannabis for sale or supply on November 24, 2021.

He has one previous conviction for a minor road traffic offence.

Garda Niamh Corrigan told Jennifer Jackson, BL, prosecuting, that on the above date, gardai arrived at McGill’s house with a search warrant in relation to an investigation into a stolen electric bike. McGill was not the target of the search warrant.

Gda Corrigan said that when McGill opened the door and saw the search warrant, he said to gardai, “I know why you are here,” and led them into the house and showed them two cardboard boxes containing vacuum-packed bags.

Gardai found 2,800 grams of cannabis with a value of €256,000 in the boxes, which McGill said he was holding for someone.

The court heard that the rest of the house was searched, and a very small amount of cocaine with a value of €81 was found.

McGill was arrested and was cooperative with the gardai.

He said he had borrowed money to renovate his house and was unable to pay the money back.

Gda Corrigan agreed with John Fitzgerald, SC, defending, that his client was not on garda radar, and when arrested, he gave a full account.

The garda agreed with counsel that it was not a drug debt but a debt for a personal loan.

Mr Fitzgerald said his client had worked in construction, and in 2012, he decided to set up his own business.

He said his client was “a better worker than a businessman,” and in 2014, he closed the business with a number of debts.

Counsel said his client worked on and off and bought a property which was repossessed earlier this year.

He said that his client was able to live within his means, but he knew that he needed to sell his home.

He borrowed money in order to carry out some renovations before he sold the house and was unable to pay it back.

He said McGill began to use cannabis at the age of 16.

He said he took drugs to help with his stress but is now drug-free.

Urine analysis reports were given to the court along with a probation report, which places McGill at low risk of reoffending.

Character references were handed into the court in support of McGill, as well as one from his son, who described his dad as “his best buddy”.

A letter of apology from McGill was also handed into the court, where he said he “has humiliated himself”.

Mr Fitzgerald asked the court to take all circumstances into account when sentencing.

Passing sentence today, Judge Martina Baxter said McGill had made an “unfortunate and bad decision” to borrow €5,000 from moneylenders to renovate his home to try to sell it.

She noted that while McGill was on a “low rung” of the ladder, his role was “vital,” and he was trusted to hold a “substantial amount” of drugs.

Judge Baxter said the court must consider the “destructive and corrosive” harm done to society by drugs.

She noted McGill was “cooperative to a fault” with gardai following his arrest and has expressed remorse and shame.

She said the court has concerns about McGill’s use of cannabis since his teenage years, which meant that while he has lived a “very pro-social life”, there was an “anti-social” component due to his use of drugs and his association with “people who are not pro-social”.

Judge Baxter handed McGill a sentence of five years, with the final two years suspended on strict conditions.

She also directed him to place himself under the supervision of the Probation Service for 12 months post-release.