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€102k in crime cash stashed in socks and gloves
Summary
Brendan Colley, a 55-year-old defendant from Drimnagh, Dublin 12, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to a charge of possession of the proceeds of crime. Gardaí discovered €102,720 in cash hidden in socks and gloves beneath the stairwell of his home during a search on March 9, 2023. Colley admitted to holding the money to reduce a drugs debt, stating he was forced to store it and intended to hand it over to the owner. He has ten previous convictions, including offences for drugs, robbery, and possession of knives. Defence counsel John Berry BL highlighted Colley's vulnerabilities, including a recent tumour diagnosis and ongoing addiction issues, and requested a suspended sentence. Judge Martin Nolan acknowledged Colley's mitigating circumstances and low risk of re-offending but noted that laundering such a significant sum is a serious matter. The Judge stated that a more robust offender might have received three to four years. Consequently, Judge Nolan imposed a two-year prison sentence, ruling that an offender cannot launder that amount of money without suffering for it. The matter was finalised with this custodial sentence.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: €102k in crime cash stashed in socks and gloves. Charges or matters: a charge of possession of the proceeds of crime at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- March 9, 2023 Incident
- 2024-03-21 Publication
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: a charge of possession of the proceeds of crime at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: He asked the court to consider imposing a suspended sentence. He imposed a two-year prison sentence on Colley, saying the defendant had to go to jail as an offender "can't launder that amount of money without suffering for it".
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