Courts / Limerick / Report

Carpenter jailed for transporting €1 million worth of drugs has sentence cut on appeal

Summary

Shane Ferguson, a 47‑year‑old carpenter from Limerick, was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment in 2014 for transporting over €1 million worth of cannabis from Northern Ireland to a cottage in rural Limerick. He pleaded guilty to possession for sale or supply. The drugs, 52.2 kg with a street value of €1,045,148, were moved by a navy transit van hired by Ferguson, who drove it from Newry to Limerick, paying tolls and being tracked on the motorway. An accomplice swapped vehicles and moved the boxes into the cottage. Gardaí seized the boxes, which bore a UPS sticker, and traced the shipment's route from Eindhoven to Newtownabbey to Poyntzpass. On appeal, the Court of Appeal reduced Ferguson's sentence by one year, from seven to six years, while his co‑accused remained at five years. The new six‑year term takes effect from the original sentencing date.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Carpenter jailed for transporting €1 million worth of drugs has sentence cut on appeal. Charges or matters: possession of over €1 million worth of cannabis for sale or supply. Procedural stage: appeal

When:

• May 25 2012 Incident
• January 17 2014 Incident
• May 25 2011 Other
• 2015-06-22 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Drugs Stage Appeal

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Read the original CNI report