Courts / Dublin / Report

British criminal and 'foot soldier' get combined 19.5 years in jail for €1.5m drugs operation

Date
2023-03-22

Stage
Sentence

Primary locality
Dublin

County
Dublin

Summary

In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 22 March 2023, Carl Powell, aged 34, was sentenced to 11 years' imprisonment for his mid‑ranking role in a €1.5 million heroin, cannabis and cocaine operation. Powell, a UK national from Liverpool, pleaded guilty to possessing drugs for sale and to possessing proceeds of crime. He had 20 prior convictions, including a UK sentence for cultivating cannabis. Gary Graham, aged 48, a "foot soldier" from Dublin, received eight and a half years' jail for a lower‑level drug‑dealing offence. Graham pleaded guilty to possessing cannabis for sale and had two previous convictions, one a serious drug‑dealing case. Both men were arrested after Gardaí raids in Palmerstown and Dublin 2, where large quantities of drugs and cash were seized. The sentences were back‑dated to June 2022, when the men entered custody.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: British criminal and 'foot soldier' get combined 19.5 years in jail for €1.5m drugs operation. Charges or matters: one count of possessing cannabis, cocaine and heroin for sale or supply at the apartment in Dublin 2 and one count of possessing money which was the proceeds of crime on June 22, 2022; one count of possessing cannabis for sale or supply at Rose Cottage, Mill Lane, Palmerstown, Dublin 20 on the same date. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

June 22, 2022 Incident
June 2022 Other
2023-03-22 Publication

Case subjects

Carl Powell

Convicted Person

Charges: one count of possessing cannabis, cocaine and heroin for sale or supply at the apartment in Dublin 2 and one count of possessing money which was the proceeds of crime on June 22, 2022; one count of possessing cannabis for sale or supply at Rose Cottage, Mill Lane, Palmerstown, Dublin 20 on the same date (Admitted)

Plea: Guilty

Outcome: Carl Powell (34) was today jailed at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for 11 years for his mid-ranking role in the drugs operation, while his co-accused Gary Graham (48) – described as a 'foot soldier' – was jailed for eight and a half years. The judge said he did not believe he could depart from the mandatory minimum sentence in this case and he jailed Powell for 11 years.

Gary Graham

Convicted Person

Plea: Guilty

Outcome: Gary Graham (48) – described as a 'foot soldier' – was jailed for eight and a half years. Taking into account his other convictions, the judge jailed Graham for eight and a half years.