Courts / Dublin / Report
Man held €285k in cocaine to pay off €3k drug debt
Summary
Mark Kelly, 26, of Blanchardstown, Dublin, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to three and a half years in prison. Kelly pleaded guilty to possession of drugs for sale or supply and possession of cash believed to be proceeds of crime, both alleged to have occurred at his home on June 29, 2022. The court heard that Gardaí found cocaine with an estimated street value of €285,000, along with €3,575 in cash, weighing scales, knives, and baggies during a warrant search. Kelly admitted to officers that he was holding the drugs to settle a €3,000 debt incurred through his own cocaine use, stating he had been threatened and was in debt for approximately six months. Defence counsel Tony McGillicuddy SC submitted that Kelly had no previous convictions, had lost his job, and immediately took responsibility for the drugs to protect others. Judge Martin Nolan acknowledged that Kelly acted at the lower end of the enterprise and had "got in over his head" due to addiction, but noted he was a "vital cog" in the supply chain. The judge jailed Kelly for three and a half years.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Man held €285k in cocaine to pay off €3k drug debt. Charges or matters: possession of the drugs for sale or supply at his home on June 29, 2022. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- June 29, 2022 Incident
- 2024-01-29 Publication
Why: A man who was holding €285,000 worth of cocaine in order to pay off a €3,000 drug debt has been jailed for three and a half years. CNI source report
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: possession of the drugs for sale or supply at his home on June 29, 2022 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: He jailed him for three and a half years.
Places mentioned
- Dublin
- Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
Topics
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