Courts / Dublin / Report

Dad couriered cocaine to pay just €200 off his son's €50k debt

Summary

John McElroy, a 60‑year‑old former soldier, was sentenced to 12 months in jail after he was found with a 1.1‑kg block of cocaine worth €70,840 in his car in Cabra, Dublin. He claimed he had only accepted the package an hour earlier and was holding it to pay €200 toward his son's €50,000 drug debt. McElroy pleaded guilty to possessing cocaine for sale or supply at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Judge Melanie Greally described his decision as "very ill‑advised" and noted he was assessed as a low risk of reoffending. She sentenced him to three‑and‑a‑half years, suspending the final two and a half years on strict conditions. McElroy is undergoing cancer treatment, and his son requires surgery, which the court said has been a source of ongoing worry for the family.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Dad couriered cocaine to pay just €200 off his son's €50k debt. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

• January 25 Other
• 1976 and 1991 Other
• 2021-03-19 Publication

Why: McElroy, with an address at Oakwood Park, Finglas, Dublin, told gardaí he had only accepted the package an hour earlier and that he was holding it in order to pay €200 off his son's €50,000 drug debt. CNI source report

Places mentioned

Topics

Drugs Stage Sentence

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Read the original CNI report