Man jailed for holding €300,000 worth of cannabis

By Jessica Magee

A Dublin man who accepted a delivery of almost €300,000 worth of cannabis told gardaí he had been expecting a much smaller package.

Kevin Murphy (41), of Allenton Drive in Tallaght, told gardaí he was shocked when three black bags containing just under 15 kilos of cannabis were delivered to him in a BMW jeep last year.

He pleaded guilty to possessing the drugs for sale or supply at an address in Mountain Park, Tallaght on February 20, 2023.

Murphy was sentenced to four years in prison at a sitting of Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on Thursday.

The court heard that Murphy got a phone call a day earlier telling him a delivery would be made, but that he was expecting it to be a small package.

Gardaí Brian Foran said Murphy had not been the target of a garda surveillance operation which had been set up on the day in question.

Gda Foran told Emer Ní Chúagáin BL, prosecuting, that gardaí saw another man retrieving three large black sacks from a white Ford Transit van and transferring them into a BMW jeep.

The jeep was then driven to Mountain Park, where Murphy was seen moving his own car out of the way to allow the jeep reverse into the driveway.

Men were seen moving two of the black sacks and putting them into a different vehicle used by Murphy, before gardaí attended and found a third black sack on the ground.

In all, there were 30 packages of vacuum-packed cannabis retrieved, with a street value of €298,760.

Murphy was arrested and made full admissions, apologising for his involvement.

He has seven previous convictions including three for assault.

Gda Foran agreed with Garnett Orange SC, defending, that another accused had been targeted as part of this intelligence-led operation.

Gda Foran also agreed that Murphy had become ill and had broken down during his interviews with gardaí, speaking at length of tragedies that had befallen his family.

The court heard that one of Murphy’s children had died, and that he had been first on the scene when another relative was found dead in tragic circumstances.

Mr Orange said his client had been beset by ill health and by addictions to cocaine, alcohol and gambling, but that he was now a different man who has made enormous strides in his recovery.

The court heard that Murphy had run up a drug debt and was susceptible to pressure being put upon him by people to whom he owed money.

“He is utterly and abjectly remorseful for his behaviour,” said Mr Orange, describing his client as a good family man.

A psychological report was submitted to court detailing extremely traumatic events in Murphy’s life from childhood on, while several letters from his family praised his good character.

The court heard that Murphy is very active and well-regarded in his community and by his neighbours.

Judge Martin Nolan accepted that Murphy had been a “mere transporter and holder” of the drugs on the day and that he was not the owner of the cannabis.

Judge Nolan said Murphy’s culpability was “at the lower end” and that there had been other, more important third parties involved in the operation.

Murphy was sentenced to four years in prison.