Courts / Dublin / Report

"Remarkably decent man" given four-and-a-half years for storing guns, drugs and ammunition

Date
2015-04-28

Stage
Sentence

Primary locality
Lusk

County
Dublin

Summary

Christian Coffey, aged 38, was sentenced to four and a half years in jail for storing cannabis worth €64,658, two Russian semi‑automatic pistols, and 16 rounds of ammunition at a rented container in Lusk, north County Dublin. He pleaded guilty at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 17 October 2013. Coffey had gambling debts exceeding €50,000, including amounts owed to banks and money lenders, and had been described by a judge as a "fully reformed gambler" and a "remarkably decent man". The judge, Martin Nolan, noted Coffey's lack of prior convictions, early guilty plea, strong work record over 20 years, and community contributions through his GAA club. Despite the Director of Public Prosecutions recommending seven to eight years, the judge imposed the four‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence, citing Coffey's mitigation and remorse.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: "Remarkably decent man" given four-and-a-half years for storing guns, drugs and ammunition. Charges or matters: possessing cannabis herb and cannabis resin worth a total of €64,658 at Container No 3, Amble Stores, Skerries Road, Lusk on October 17, 2013. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

October 17, 2013 Incident
2015-04-28 Publication

Case subjects

Christian Coffey

Defendant

Charges: possessing cannabis herb and cannabis resin worth a total of €64,658 at Container No 3, Amble Stores, Skerries Road, Lusk on October 17, 2013 (Admitted)

Plea: Guilty

Outcome: Although the Director of Public Prosecutions had recommended a sentence of seven to eight years, Judge Nolan imposed a four and a half year sentence for the firearms offences, with the other counts taken into account.