Dublin airport grandfather drug mule jailed

By Sonya McLean

A man who agreed to act as a drugs mule because he was so depressed by the fact that he couldn’t afford to buy his grandchildren Christmas presents has been jailed for importing cannabis.

Custom officers stopped Patrick Kelly (63) this January as he was coming through Dublin Airport as they thought he was acting “suspicious and evasive”. The luggage he was carrying was later searched and found to contain just under 20kg of cannabis, worth an estimated €398,680.

Kelly himself acknowledged in garda interview that this was “a suicide mission” and “complete madness”.

Kelly of Moneymore, Drogheda, County Louth, came forward to Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on signed pleas from the District Court.

He pleaded guilty to importation of cannabis at Dublin Airport on January 12, 2025. He also admitted to having cannabis for sale or supply on the same date.

He has minor previous convictions for road traffic offences and has been on remand in custody since his arrest in January.

Judge Orla Crowe said it was “a very considerable amount of drugs” and Kelly had taken “a significant level of personal risk”.

She accepted he had acted as a drugs mule and acknowledged that he had financial difficulties at the time but commented that many others find themselves in similar financial circumstances and “don’t succumb” to taking up such roles.

She noted the impact drugs have on society and added that Kelly got involved for financial gain.

Judge Crowe jailed Kelly for three years and backdated the offence to when he first went into custody.

Antonia Boyle BL, prosecuting, said that Kelly told gardaí in interview that since his retirement in November 2023 he had been living “hand to mouth” on his pension.

He became very depressed around Christmas time, particularly because he had no money to get presents for his two grandchildren.

Kelly said he was targeted by someone who knew of his financial situation and was offered money to take a suitcase from Thailand into Dublin.

It was accepted by gardaí that Kelly had been exploited and that he accepted himself in interview that what he had done was very wrong.

Michael Hourigan SC, defending, said Kelly had started his working life in a bakery before moving to London for about 20 years where he worked in construction. He then returned to Ireland with his family.

He worked for some time in a coal yard before he moved to work with Irish Rail. He remained with Irish Rail until his retirement in 2023.

Counsel said someone known to Kelly was aware of his personal circumstances and “invited him into the operation”.

Mr Hourigan said his client never asked for bail and co-operated with the garda investigation. Kelly is currently on an enhanced regime in prison.

Counsel asked the court to accept that Kelly “accepted responsibility from the very beginning.”