Courts / Dublin / Report
7-year sentence for man caught with €4.1m in drugs too lenient, DPP argues
Summary
Stephen Sarsfield, 39, pleaded guilty to possessing €4,170,932 of cannabis and heroin for sale or supply at an address on Ballyfermot Drive. He was found transferring boxes of cannabis from a large lorry into a garage in a Dublin housing estate before Gardaí moved in. Detective Garda Brian Foran described the site as a "large scale drug distribution hub" with 188 kg of cannabis herb and 2.9 kg of cocaine, a money‑counting machine, two plastic bag sealers, three stun guns and a weighing scale. Sarsfield was sentenced to seven years imprisonment by Judge Martin Nolan on 10 April 2018. The Director of Public Prosecutions now seeks a review, arguing the sentence was "unduly lenient" and that a mandatory minimum of 10 years should have applied. The Court of Appeal has scheduled further submissions for 1 July.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: 7-year sentence for man caught with €4.1m in drugs too lenient, DPP argues. Charges or matters: possessing €4,170,932 of cannabis and heroin for sale or supply at an address on Ballyfermot Drive, on July 17, 2017. Procedural stage: appeal
When:
- July 17, 2017 Incident
- April 10, 2018 Other
- July 1 Other
- 2019-05-17 Publication
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: possessing €4,170,932 of cannabis and heroin for sale or supply at an address on Ballyfermot Drive, on July 17, 2017 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: Sarsfield was sentenced to seven years imprisonment by Judge Martin Nolan on April 10, 2018. Counsel for the DPP, Ronan Kennedy BL, submitted that the mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years imprisonment ought to have been imposed, given the quantity of drugs and Sarsfield's role in the operation.
Places mentioned
- New Street Gardens
- Dublin
- Ballyfermot Drive
- Dublin
- Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
- Court of Appeal
Topics
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