Courts / Cork / Report

Man caught at Covid checkpoint with €95k in cocaine

Summary

Gary Nolan, 39, was stopped at a Covid checkpoint in Clondalkin on 18 May 2020 while driving a van that contained €95,000 of cocaine. He admitted to the Gardaí that the drugs were part of a debt he owed and that he had been threatened repeatedly. Nolan pleaded guilty to possession of the cocaine at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. He had no prior convictions and had been attending counselling regularly, providing clean urine samples. The judge, Martin Nolan, noted his early guilty plea, lack of a record, good work history and family support. The court departed from the mandatory ten‑year minimum and imposed a five‑year sentence, which was suspended in full. The decision was based on the evidence of rehabilitation and the exceptional circumstances presented by the case.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Man caught at Covid checkpoint with €95k in cocaine. Charges or matters: possession of the cocaine at Outer Ring Road, Clondalkin on May 18, 2020. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

• May 18, 2020 Incident
• 2021-03-19 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Drugs Stage Sentence

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Read the original CNI report