Courts / Dublin / Report

Man avoids jail for transporting €200k in heroin over 14 years ago

Summary

Bernard Nugent, 56, of Castletymon Court, Tallaght, pleaded guilty on 19 April 2008 to possession of drugs for sale or supply after transporting €200,000 worth of heroin 14 years earlier. The case was delayed due to fitness to plead issues. Garda surveillance tracked a car from Munster to Dublin, which stopped at the Red Cow Hotel car park. Nugent's van arrived, and a brown bag containing 1 kg of diamorphine was transferred between vehicles. Nugent was arrested, interviewed five times, and claimed he was instructed to move the bag to reduce a drug debt. He has 23 prior convictions, mainly traffic offences, and a drug possession conviction from 2001. One co‑accused died before the trial; the other two received suspended seven‑year sentences in 2009. The court heard that Nugent acted under instruction and feared for his life. He was a heroin addict at the time but is now drug‑free.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Man avoids jail for transporting €200k in heroin over 14 years ago. Charges or matters: possession of drugs for sale or supply. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

• April 19, 2008 Incident
• 2022-11-11 Publication

Why: He told gardai that he was given instructions to take the bag to the Red Cow Hotel in order to reduce a drug debt. CNI source report

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Drugs Stage Sentence

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Read the original CNI report