Courts / Wicklow / Report

Equestrian manager who was 'renowned in the world of horses" has drugs sentence cut on appeal

Summary

Raymond Molloy, a 55‑year‑old former equestrian centre manager from Hollywood, Co Wicklow, pleaded guilty to possession of over €6 million worth of cannabis resin for sale or supply in Dublin. He had spent 11 years on the run in the Isle of White before being extradited to Ireland. Gardaí recovered 498 kg of cannabis resin from a van he drove in Coolock during a surveillance operation. In May 2017 he was sentenced to six‑and‑a‑half years' imprisonment. On appeal, his barrister argued that Molloy's involvement was limited to 30 minutes, that he had no financial gain, and that he had shown deep remorse and had no prior convictions. The Court of Appeal, after reviewing mitigating factors such as his guilty plea, mental‑health difficulties and cooperation, reduced the sentence to five years' imprisonment, with no part suspended. The decision was made by a three‑judge panel headed by Mr Justice John Edwards.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Equestrian manager who was 'renowned in the world of horses" has drugs sentence cut on appeal. Procedural stage: appeal

When:

• August 16, 2002 Incident
• May 2017 Incident
• 2018-02-20 Publication

Why: A number of threats had been issued to Molloy and his horses because of his in-depth knowledge of the industry. CNI source report

Places mentioned

Topics

Drugs Stage Appeal

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Read the original CNI report