By Sonya McLean
A mechanic has been jailed for two and half years after he accepted a delivery of almost six kilogrammes of cannabis from a garda disguised as a delivery man.
Eamonn Gray (38), of Castlegrange Avenue, Clonee, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of cannabis with a street value of €118,760 on September 26, 2024.
Garda Stefan Kilroy told Carol Doherty BL, prosecuting, that the package was intercepted by An Post and a controlled delivery was arranged.
The name on the package was not Gray’s but a warrant was secured to search his home after it was successfully delivered and Gray was in the house at the time.
The drugs were still there as was the custom receipt that had come with the delivery.
Gray’s phone was also seized and analysed and gardaí found tracking information for the package on it.
Gray was arrested and he said he owed money due to a drug debt.
He said he had no choice and he was told his debt would be cleared if he took the drugs.
Gda Kilroy agreed with Mark Lynam SC, defending, that Gray “was a vulnerable individual” and would not have been on the garda radar at all.
He accepted that he had a cocaine addiction at the time and had been engaging with a counsellor to help him with this addiction.
Mr Lynam submitted that Gray was threatened and told by those involved that “they knew where his family lived”.
He said his own use of cocaine led to him getting involved in the offence and made him “an easy target”.
Counsel said no person would “nominate themselves” to accept such a delivery and Gray was “effectively a sitting duck”.
He said his client “very much regrets” his involvement and was shocked by the value of the drugs.
A letter from his former partner, and mother of one of his children, said the offence was totally out of character for him and “not a true reflection of his character or the values he lives by”.
“This is just an aberration for him,” Mr Lynam said.
He said Gray has always worked as a mechanic and has taken steps to deal with his addiction.
Judge Martin Nolan accepted that Gray was “immediately co-operative” and had been “vulnerable due to his debt”.
He said others “took advantage of his situation and threatened him”.
He acknowledged that Gray has a strong work record and that he didn’t think he would re-offend to any great degree in the future.
Judge Nolan jailed Gray for two and half years.