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Rattigan gets date to appeal conviction for directing drug dealing

Summary

Brian Rattigan, 38, was convicted in a Special Criminal Court of directing a €1 million heroin supply from prison. He pleaded not guilty to possession of heroin and two counts of possession for sale or supply on Hughes Road South, Walkinstown, on 21 May 2008. The court found him the director of a drugs gang and sentenced him to 17 years, back‑dated to June 2008, to run concurrently with a life sentence for the murder of 21‑year‑old Declan Gavin. The murder conviction was later quashed by the Supreme Court. Rattigan's appeal against the drug conviction is scheduled for 5 June 2025. The appeal is solely against conviction; counsel expects it to finish in under a day. Rattigan was not present at the hearing. The trial relied on evidence of a €1 million heroin haul, mobile phone texts detailing drug distribution, and a diary found in his prison cell.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Rattigan gets date to appeal conviction for directing drug dealing. Charges or matters: possession of heroin and two counts of possession of the drug for sale or supply on Hughes Road South, Walkinstown, Dublin 12 on May 21st, 2008. Procedural stage: appeal

When:

• May 21st, 2008 Incident
• May 22nd, 2008 Incident
• March 20, 2013 Hearing Or Sentence
• June 2008 Hearing Or Sentence
• December 2009 Hearing Or Sentence
• August 25th, 2001 Hearing Or Sentence
• June 5 Hearing Or Sentence
• March 2011 Hearing Or Sentence
• 2004 and 2010 Other
• 2017-12-19 Publication

Why: In March 2011 the Director of Public Prosecutions ordered that Rattigan's trial should be moved from the Circuit Criminal Court to the Special Criminal Court (SCC), which normally deals with terrorist offences, because the ordinary courts are "inadequate" to try the case. Prosecution account reported by CNI

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Drugs Stage Appeal Violent Crime

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Read the original CNI report