Appeal court replaces suspended sentence with 2½-year jail term for Brian O’Grady

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

The Court of Appeal ruled that Brian O’Grady’s wholly suspended five-year sentence for delivering cannabis was unduly lenient and resentenced him to five years’ imprisonment, with the final two-and-a-half years suspended. The term is to run from the date he first enters custody.

The court said suspending the entire sentence went too far. It acknowledged O’Grady’s difficult family background and his motivation to help his brother, but concluded those factors could not justify suspending the full term.

O’Grady had pleaded guilty to possessing cannabis resin for sale or supply after a transaction in Finglas involving just over 20kg, valued by gardaí at more than €122,000. The DPP sought review of the original sentence as unduly lenient, and the appeal was allowed.