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Man who took delivery of €500k in drugs over €300 debt is jailed

Date
2022-11-11
Stage
Sentence
Primary locality
Dublin
County
Dublin

Summary

Gary Cosgrave, 28, of Crumlin, Dublin, was sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to possession of ketamine for sale or supply. He had accrued a €300 cannabis debt he could not pay and agreed to receive a delivery of ketamine disguised as Lego parts from the Netherlands. The package, valued at €594,000 and weighing just under ten kilograms, was seized during a joint customs‑excise and Garda operation. Cosgrave had no prior convictions and initially denied knowledge of the drugs, but Garda Donal Donoghue reported that he was contacted and arrived home as officers searched the premises. His defence counsel highlighted his supportive family background and argued that he was a "good man who did a bad thing," seeking a reduced sentence. Judge Martin Nolan noted the seriousness of the offence and the high value of the drugs, concluding that a lower sentence was not possible, and imposed the five‑year term.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Man who took delivery of €500k in drugs over €300 debt is jailed. Charges or matters: possession of the drugs for sale or supply at his home on November 10, 2020. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

Why: A man with no previous convictions who agreed to take delivery of over €500k in ketamine disguised as Lego because he couldn't afford to pay a €300 drug debt has been jailed for five years. CNI source report

Case subjects

Gary Cosgrave

Defendant

Charges: possession of the drugs for sale or supply at his home on November 10, 2020 (Admitted)

Plea: Guilty

Outcome: Judge Nolan imposed a five year sentence, saying he could go no lower due to the amount of drugs.

Places mentioned

Court Venue
  • Dublin
  • Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
Residence

Topics

Drugs Stage Sentence

Related court reports

Read the original CNI report

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