Courts / Dublin / Report
Trauma from Foreign Legion service led to drug abuse, court hears
Summary
Derek Hackett, 55, a former French Foreign Legion member, was jailed for three‑and‑a‑half years after being caught with just under €80,000 of cannabis. Gardaí, conducting a surveillance operation aimed at another man, observed Hackett handing a black refuse bag containing the drugs to that man at Drumfinn Road, Ballyfermot, on 1 August 2020. Hackett pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis for sale or supply. Judge Melanie Greally, noting his prior convictions for traffic offences, attributed his drug use to a debt stemming from escalating cocaine use linked to trauma from war‑torn areas where he served. She sentenced him to four‑and‑a‑half years, suspending the final 12 months on strict conditions. The case highlighted the seriousness of assisting drug distribution and the judge's emphasis on the need for serious consequences. The prosecution and defence discussed his PTSD symptoms, low re‑offending risk, and family ties, but the sentence remained unchanged.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Trauma from Foreign Legion service led to drug abuse, court hears. Charges or matters: possession of cannabis for sale or supply at Drumfinn Road, Ballyfermot, on August 1, 2020. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- August 1, 2020 Incident
- 2021-10-07 Publication
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: possession of cannabis for sale or supply at Drumfinn Road, Ballyfermot, on August 1, 2020 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: Passing sentence today, Judge Melanie Greally said the detection arose from a surveillance operation targeting a different individual that led to Hackett being observed handing over a black refuse bag containing the cannabis. Judge Greally sentenced Hackett to four-and-a-half years imprisonment but suspended the final 12 months of the sentence on strict conditions.
Places mentioned
- Dublin
- Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
- Drumfinn Road
- Drumfinn Road
Topics
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