Courts / Kildare / Report

Prison Officer wins appeal against drugs conviction

Summary

Trevor Gleeson, a 36‑year‑old prison officer from Monasterevin, Co. Kildare, successfully appealed a conviction for possessing drugs. In 2009 he was charged with simple possession of controlled drugs and possession for sale or supply at Grey Abbey Road, Kildare Town. A jury found him guilty of five possession counts but could not reach a verdict on the sale or supply charge; a retrial on that charge ended with a jury discharge after late disclosure of CCTV footage. Gleeson received a wholly suspended 18‑month sentence in 2014. The Court of Appeal ruled that the trial judge erred in instructing the jury on the defence of duress and that CCTV footage, which had existed at the time of the first trial, was improperly withheld. The appeal was allowed on those grounds, with no further determination on other issues such as the Garda investigation. The case remains at the appeal stage. Trevor Gleeson pleaded not guilty.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Prison Officer wins appeal against drugs conviction. Charges or matters: simple possession of controlled drugs as well as possession for sale or supply at Grey Abbey Road, Kildare Town on December 22, 2009. Procedural stage: appeal

When:

• December 22, 2009 Incident
• January 31, 2014 Incident
• 2016-11-14 Publication

Why: It has to include an element of both because it needs to take account of the particular circumstances of the person seeking to invoke it. CNI source report

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Drugs Stage Appeal

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Read the original CNI report