Courts / Dublin / Report

Man had drugs worth €450k in bedroom and ammunition in sock

Summary

John Kelly, aged 29, was found with €452,000 worth of cocaine and heroin hidden in his bedroom wardrobe and 17 shotgun cartridges concealed in a sock. He admitted to possessing the drugs for sale or supply and to possessing ammunition. Gardaí had placed his home under surveillance after a confidential tip and discovered the drugs during a search. Kelly claimed he had a drug debt of about €1,000 and was pressured into holding the drugs, believing their value to be around €20,000. His defence argued he was under duress following a recent road accident that increased his cannabis use and that he had no knowledge of the drugs' value. The court accepted his difficult circumstances but noted his involvement with known drug dealers. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced him to four and a half years in prison. John Kelly pleaded guilty.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Man had drugs worth €450k in bedroom and ammunition in sock. Charges or matters: one count of possessing cocaine and heroin for sale or supply at his home address on September 21, 2018. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

• September 21, 2018 Incident
• 2021-05-07 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Drugs Stage Sentence

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Read the original CNI report