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"Caring and kind" painter "coerced" in to storing €1.9m in drugs is jailed
Summary
Declan Cosgrave, a 53-year-old painter, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to possession of cannabis resin, cannabis, and cocaine worth €1.9m at his home in Donaghmede Park, Dublin 13. Judge Cormac Quinn imposed a seven-year prison term, suspending the final two years for a period of two years. The judge directed that Cosgrave undergo Probation Service supervision for two years upon release. During sentencing, the court acknowledged mitigating factors, including Cosgrave's plea, cooperation with gardai, medical conditions, and an alleged element of coercion. Cosgrave's defense counsel, Blaise O'Carroll SC, argued that the defendant was vulnerable and coerced into storing the drugs to settle a debt, citing his history of cocaine use and chronic sleep apnoea. The judge noted the significant value of the drugs as an aggravating factor but considered Cosgrave's lack of prior serious convictions and his vulnerable state when he took possession of the substances. The matter was finalized with this sentence, which includes the specified suspension and supervision conditions.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: "Caring and kind" painter "coerced" in to storing €1.9m in drugs is jailed. Charges or matters: possession of cannabis resin, cannabis and cocaine worth €1.9m at his home in Donaghmede Park, Dublin 13. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- 2017-12-21 Publication
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: possession of cannabis resin, cannabis and cocaine worth €1.9m at his home in Donaghmede Park, Dublin 13 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: He sentenced Cosgrave to seven years imprisonment and suspended the final two years for a period of two years.
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