Man jailed on birthday for holding almost €3 million of cocaine in home

By Natasha Reid

A “respected barber” has been sentenced to seven and a half years in prison for holding almost €3 million worth of cocaine in his Dublin home.

When caught with the drugs, he told gardaí he was ‘going to get a degree inside’.

Graham Doherty of St John’s Crescent, Clondalkin was sentenced on his 34^th birthday  after pleading guilty to possession of 40 kilos of cocaine for sale or supply on July 9, 2024. Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that he had built up a drug debt and was vulnerable, when he agreed to store the drugs.

Garda Charles McPartland told the court that gardaí received a reliable report of suspicious activity at St John’s Cresent that day. A search warrant was obtained and gardaí arrived at the house around 11pm.

The accused threw his mobile phone over the back garden wall, but it was later recovered and seized.

The accused then directed gardaí to a quantity of drugs in a bathroom. This included 28 kilo bricks of cocaine in a suitcase, seven in a SuperValu bag and one loose. Further kilo bricks of cocaine were found in the oven in the kitchen.

The total weight of the cocaine seized was 40.34 kg, with a street value of €2,823,000.

On the night of the seizure, Doherty asked gardaí: ‘How long am I looking at?’ and told them he was taking full responsibility.

“I’m going to get a degree inside. That’s what I’m going to do,” he said.

Garda McPartland said that Doherty had previously been a ‘well-respected barber’ and has a young child. He had fallen on hard times and had built up a drug debt due to his personal use of drugs.

The garda did not think he was ‘the mastermind’ behind the haul.

On cross examination by Giollaíosa O Lideadha SC, defending, Gd McPartland agreed that the accused had a depressive and suicidal history, and was very vulnerable. He had been diagnosed with ADHD at an early age.

“When the value is so high, it’s hard to conclude he wasn’t trusted,” said counsel.

However, he suggested that his client was in debt and under threat; he was being used, and the criminal organisers had assessed him as being extremely vulnerable. The garda said he would agree with this.

Judge Martin Nolan said he had no doubt that the accused was minding the drugs and that there was no evidence he was the owner or was going to benefit to a great degree.

“It seems he had some sort of drug debt and was put upon to hold these drugs,” he said.

He noted Doherty’s good work history. He said that he had received many letters and references on his behalf and that it was unlikely he would reoffend.

However, he said that he had provided a service to a serious drug-dealing enterprise.

He sentenced him to seven and half years in prison, and backdated it to the night of the seizure, when he went into custody.

Mr O Lideadha asked the judge for a certificate for legal aid ‘for the appeal’. This was granted.