Man jailed for five years for his role in transporting over €830,000 of heroin

By Eimear Dodd

A Dublin man has been jailed for five years for his role in transporting over €830,000 of heroin.

Stuart O’Brien (46) of Rutland Grove, Crumlin, Dublin 12, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of heroin of sale or supply on March 15, 2023.

An investigating garda told John Moher BL, prosecuting, today that gardai were carrying out a surveillance operation in north Dublin after receiving confidential information.

A co-accused was seen driving to a service station on the Malahide Road, where he met O’Brien who was carrying a green hold-all bag.

The two men were in a car for some time and dashcam footage form the car was obtained by gardai as part of their investigation.

This footage showed the co-accused handing O’Brien a bag, which is placed into the green bag.

O’Brien was then brought to Artane, where he met a third man and got into his car. O’Brien later got out of this car a short time later, and this third man drove away.

When gardai stopped O’Brien a short while later, he was searched and the green bag was empty.

The third man was stopped on Oscar Traynor Road and the second bag was found, which contained 12 slabs of heroin, weighing 5.9kg with a value of €831,000.

O’Brien was arrested and nothing of evidential value was obtained when he was interviewed.

He has two previous convictions.

The court heard that the second co-accused has been dealt with by the court on other matters and the third co-accused has since died.

The garda agreed with Timothy O’Leary SC, defending, that O’Brien has not come to recent negative attention and has complied with his bail conditions.

It was further accepted that he does not have any trappings of wealth and has no addiction issues.

Mr O’Leary said his client suffered a brain hemorrhage over 20 years for which he continues to require medical attention.

O’Brien has a work history as a cleaner and receives disability benefit when he is out of work. He has a job offer open to him.

Mr O’Leary said it was a “horrendous amount” of drugs. He suggested his client was a “suitable dupe” in the circumstances of the case and asked the court to consider imposing a non-custodial sentence.

Judge Martin Nolan said the court had to infer that O’Brien’s job was to hold and carry the drugs for a reward. He said O’Brien’s involvement was limited and noted the high value of the drugs.

He said he had considered the mitigation and O’Brien’s background, before adding that the court was satisfied he knew the difference between right and wrong.

He said O’Brien’s early guilty plea allowed the court to depart from the mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years.

Judge Nolan said the court could not identify exceptional circumstances in this case which would allow it to impose a non-custodial sentence and handed O’Brien a five-year sentence.