"Devoted family man" jailed for transporting cannabis

A 45-year-old man from Castleblayney, County Monaghan, has been sentenced to two and a half years' imprisonment following his conviction for drug trafficking. At Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Mark Donnelly pleaded guilty to possession of 37 kilograms of cannabis resin on the M1 in north Dublin on 13 February 2014. The drugs carried an estimated street value of €221,400. Donnelly told gardaí he had agreed to transport the narcotics to settle a debt owed to a man who had threatened him. His legal team presented character references from former employers and community members, noting his background as a self-employed joinery worker and involvement with his local hurling club. Judge Martin Nolan described him as a hard-working family man and first-time offender who had made a grave error of judgement under pressure. Detective Garda Eoin Roche confirmed that gardaí, acting on confidential information, intercepted the van as it travelled south from County Louth.