Courts / Dublin / Report

Former army officer who dealt "with the devil" is jailed for 3.5 years

Date
2015-03-11
Stage
Sentence
Primary locality
Lucan
County
Dublin

Summary

A former army officer, Gerard Daly, has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison for possessing nearly 20 kilograms of herbal cannabis valued at €399,260. Daly, who had 12 years of service in the Defence Forces before being discharged due to a prior drug offence, pleaded guilty to the charges. He admitted to holding the drugs in return for €1,000 as he was financially desperate. Judge Martin Nolan noted that Daly had made a serious error of judgment and was aware of the risks involved. The court heard that Daly had been tipped off about a delivery of cannabis, leading to a surveillance operation outside his home in Lucan. Gardaí found the drugs in a shed after obtaining a search warrant. Daly had 17 previous convictions, all for road traffic offences, which his defence attributed to a long-standing alcohol problem.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Former army officer who dealt "with the devil" is jailed for 3.5 years. Charges or matters: possessing almost 20 kilograms of the drug for sale or supply at his home on April 22, 2013, along with 43 blank ammunition cartridges. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

Case subjects

Gerard Daly

Accused

Charges: possessing almost 20 kilograms of the drug for sale or supply at his home on April 22, 2013, along with 43 blank ammunition cartridges (Admitted)

Plea: Guilty

Outcome: He told gardaí he had agreed to hold the drugs in return for €1,000 as he was financially hard up and "desperate". "He must have known that he was dealing with the devil," said Judge Martin Nolan as he passed sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

Places mentioned

Residence
Court Venue
  • Dublin
  • Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
Secondary Mention

Topics

Drugs Road Traffic Stage Sentence

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