Courts / Monaghan / Report
"Devoted family man" jailed for transporting cannabis
Summary
A 45-year-old man from Castleblayney, County Monaghan, has been sentenced to two and a half years' imprisonment following his conviction for drug trafficking. At Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Mark Donnelly pleaded guilty to possession of 37 kilograms of cannabis resin on the M1 in north Dublin on 13 February 2014. The drugs carried an estimated street value of €221,400. Donnelly told gardaí he had agreed to transport the narcotics to settle a debt owed to a man who had threatened him. His legal team presented character references from former employers and community members, noting his background as a self-employed joinery worker and involvement with his local hurling club. Judge Martin Nolan described him as a hard-working family man and first-time offender who had made a grave error of judgement under pressure. Detective Garda Eoin Roche confirmed that gardaí, acting on confidential information, intercepted the van as it travelled south from County Louth.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: "Devoted family man" jailed for transporting cannabis. Charges or matters: possession of 37 kg of cannabis resin on the M1 in north Dublin on February 13, 2014. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- February 13, 2014 Incident
- 2015-06-15 Publication
Why: A hard working and devoted family man has been jailed after he agreed to transport over €220,000 worth of drugs in order to pay a debt to a criminal. CNI source report
Case subjects
Convicted Person
Charges: possession of 37 kg of cannabis resin on the M1 in north Dublin on February 13, 2014 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: He jailed Donnelly, who has no other convictions, for two and a half years.
Places mentioned
- Castleblaney
- Monaghan
- Aghanore Road
- Armagh
- Dundalk
- Louth
- Dublin
- Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
Topics
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